Forum: travel.stackexchange.com
Tags: <air-travel><tsa>
Title: How do I minimize the chances of TSA agents confisticating liquids larger than 3 ounces?
Question: I know as a fact that I've gotten liquids larger than 3 ounces through the TSA scanner systems (such as sunscreen). I was scolded one time for bringing a shampoo container, but I was still ultimately allowed to bring that container through.  In any case, how often are liquids larger than 3 ounces ultimately confisticated, if I put them in a ziploc bag where they can be clearly seen?

Answers:
sents: text: Simple: Label them as saline solution .
text: We took our shoes off and placed our laptops in bins.
text: Schneier took from his bag a 12-ounce container labeled "saline solution.
text: "
text: "It's allowed," he said.
text: Medical supplies, such as saline solution for contact-lens cleaning, don't fall under the TSA's three-ounce rule.
text: "What's allowed?
text: " I asked. "
text: Saline solution, or bottles labeled saline solution?"
text: "Bottles labeled saline solution.
text: They won't check what's in it, trust me."
text: They did not check.
text: As we gathered our belongings, Schneier held up the bottle and said to the nearest security officer, "This is okay, right?"
text: "Yep," the officer said.
text: "Just have to put it in the tray."
text: "Maybe if you lit it on fire, he'd pay attention," I said, risking arrest for making a joke at airport security.
text: (Later, Schneier would carry two bottles labeled saline solution—24 ounces in total—through security.
text: An officer asked him why he needed two bottles. "
text: Two eyes," he said.
text: He was allowed to keep the bottles.)
text: Travel tip courtesy of security guru and merciless TSA critic Bruce Schneier .
text: Probably not worth trying with a green goopy bottle of shampoo though.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1893/lambshaanxy
score: 17
sents: text: For the most part, the 3.4oz rule isn't strictly enforced, in the sense that they don't normally physically check ever single container you have to make sure that it's less than 3.4oz.
text: If it's significantly larger than 3.4oz they will normally be able to see that on the X-ray, and will physically inspect it.
text: As an example, I travel with a can of spray deodorant that is around 4oz, but is only labeled with "100g", where other cans of the same product are labeled as "4oz (100g)".
text: To date, having gone through airport security probably over 100 times (incl 5 times in the past 3 days) I've had them manually inspect it exactly twice.
text: So if what you're traveling with is close to 3.4oz, you're probably fine.
text: However, if they decide to look at it, and it's over 3.4oz, then you'll almost certainly lose it.
text: It's up to you whether it's worth the risk/cost of losing whatever it is you're trying to take through.
text: If it's a 4oz tube of toothpaste
text: it's a different answer than if it's a 5oz bottle of $200 perfume!
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/984/Doc
score: 14
sents: text: The best way for TSA agents (or any other airport security in the world) not confiscating liquids larger than 3 ounces is to not carry them.
text: You can replace toothpaste by tooth powder .
text: You can replace shampoo by Aleppo soap .
text: You can replace shave cream by shave soap (or Aleppo soap if you don't mind travelling light with one multiusage item).
text: You can replace after shave and deodorant by potassium alum .
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/241/mouviciel
score: 7
sents: text: They usually tell you to throw them away.
text: I had to throw away a brand new tube of toothpaste that I have mistakenly left in my bag.
text: But they do miss occasionally, or rather "look the other way", and it happened to me as well a couple of times.
text: I wouldn't count on it.
text: I believe its more of a common-sense-bend-the-rules discretion of an individual officer, rather than a matter of policy.
text: And while common sense is something we all like, it is apparently something frown upon at TSA.
text: Legally they're required not to let you in with too big a jar of liquids.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1295/littleadv
score: 4
sents: text: For short-term travel, I often bring small reusable nondescript containers which can be bought from your favourite make-up store, and fill them with any lotions, ointments, balms, unguents, pastes and other colloids I might need.
text: Obviously you can't use this method for products which are pressurized (shaving cream/gel), as well as fragrances.
text: For the former, you might consider replacing with soft soap (which works well unless your beard has the density and abrasiveness of a metal brush), and for the latter, non-liquid sticks kind of work.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/793/mindcorrosive
score: 4
sents: text: Unmarked containers that are of reasonable size can get through, too.
text: I've been using Crest toothpaste that comes in a blue plastic flip-top bottle that is 5 or 6 ounces.
text: The label is shrinkwrapped around it, and removing that removes the size marking, making it an unmarked, but oversize, container.
text: I've flown enough to go through three of them in the past few years.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/9278/Drew Stephens
score: 4

Summary of the answers:
Medical supplies, such as saline solution for  contact-lens cleaning, don't fall under the TSA's three-ounce rule, and for other liquids the rule often isn't strictly enforced unless it's significantly over the limit and shows up on the X-ray. To avoid risk, don't carry liquids larger than 3 ounces and use small reusable containers which can be bought from your favourite make-up store.
It is recommended to buy small containers for your liquid items while travelling as you may be stopped at the airport with large bottles of liquid and be asked to throw them away. However, the rule does not seem to be strictly applied unless the bottle is obviously bigger than 2.4oz. Larger bottles labelledsaline solution, on the other hand, are allowed.