Are Liquids Still Restricted In Hand Luggage? | At A Glance

Are Liquids Still Restricted In Cabin Bags Today?

Short answer: yes. If you fly from the United States or Canada (CATSA), your carry-on liquids must follow the well known TSA 3-1-1 liquids rule: containers up to 100 ml (3.4 oz), all of them fitting in a single clear, resealable one-liter bag. Across the European Union and most of Europe, the standard 100 ml cap also applies. Australia and New Zealand keep the same cap and the clear-bag requirement. In the United Kingdom (official guidance), many airports still apply 100 ml, while a growing list of airports that use C3 scanners now accept larger amounts in lanes where those machines are in service.

Rules change by departure point, and the return airport might follow a different rule set. When you see conflicting advice online, trust the airport authority that screens your flight that day. The safest default is to pack carry-on liquids in 100 ml containers and expect to show a single one-liter bag as needed today.

Here’s a snapshot of current carry-on liquid policies. Always check the latest notice from your departure airport before you fly.

What Counts As A Liquid In Hand Luggage?

If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it, or pour it, screeners treat it as a liquid. That includes gels, pastes, creams, foams, lotions, roll-ons, and many foods that feel soft. Travel-size toiletries are fine when each container is 100 ml or less. Pack bigger bottles in checked baggage, or decant into smaller travel bottles with tight caps.

Creams, Pastes, And Semi-Solids

Peanut butter, hummus, yogurt, soft cheese, icing, jams, and sauces count as liquids. The same goes for hair wax, pomade, clay, and solid-looking cosmetics that smear. If you want to carry a larger tub for a picnic or a shoot, put it in checked baggage. For carry-on, use 100 ml or smaller containers and place them in your liquids bag.

Sprays, Aerosols, And Toiletries

Non-flammable toiletry aerosols such as hairspray or deodorant can travel in the liquids bag when each can is 100 ml or less. Full-size spray cans belong in checked baggage and must meet airline quantity caps for toiletries. Paint, pepper spray, and other hazardous sprays are not allowed in carry-ons and often not allowed in checked bags either.

Powders, Solids, And Ice

Powders are not liquids, but some airports ask you to separate large amounts for screening. Slush or ice packs that are partly melted count as liquids at the checkpoint. Frozen items must be fully solid when you reach security if you want to treat them like non-liquids.

Are Liquids Allowed Over 100 Ml In Hand Luggage Anywhere?

Yes, in a few places. Some UK airports now accept larger liquid quantities for cabin baggage because their scanners build detailed 3D images of the bag. Elsewhere in Europe, regulators asked airports that had relaxed the rule to re-apply the 100 ml limit while standards are aligned. Outside Europe, most countries still use the classic 100 ml rule.

Connecting Flights: The Stricter Leg Wins

When you connect, each airport applies its own screening limits. If your trip starts at a scanner-equipped airport that allows bigger liquids, but your next airport still enforces 100 ml, security at the second airport may confiscate anything that exceeds its limit. The easy fix: keep non-duty-free liquids in 100 ml containers if you have a connection.

Duty-Free Liquids And STEBs

Liquor, perfume, and other liquids bought airside usually come sealed in a tamper-evident bag known as a STEB, with the receipt visible. Keep the bag sealed until you reach your final destination. Screeners can still test or reject a STEB that alarms, and some countries advise packing large duty-free bottles in checked baggage when possible.

Medical, Baby, And Special-Diet Liquids

Medically necessary liquids, gel packs for cooling, baby formula, expressed milk, toddler drinks, and baby food are allowed in carry-on in amounts greater than 100 ml. Tell the officer before screening and place these items in a separate tray. Expect extra checks; you might be asked to open a container, or officers may test a small sample. Bring a doctor’s note or prescription label when you can, especially for larger bottles or special-diet liquids.

How Much Is Reasonable For The Trip?

Pack only what you need for the journey and any expected delay. A family on a long-haul itinerary can carry more than a commuter on a short hop, but officers still expect quantities that make sense for the traveler and route. Keep items together in a clear pouch so inspection goes quickly.

Packing Strategy That Speeds Security

• Switch to solid toiletries where it makes sense.
• Use leakproof 100 ml bottles for must-have liquids and label them.
• Keep a quart-size bag at the top of your carry-on.
• Put meds and baby items in a separate pouch and declare them.
• Bring an empty water bottle.
• Move full-size liquids to checked baggage and double-bag them.

Carry-On Checker: Common Liquids

Not sure where a product fits? Use this quick checker for frequent items. Policies below assume a standard checkpoint without special scanners and no medical or baby exemptions.

Region-By-Region Notes For 2025

Rules come from national regulators and the equipment each airport runs. Here’s what to expect in the main regions most travelers use.

United States (TSA)

The checkpoint rule is still the 3-1-1 style setup: one quart-size bag holding travel bottles of 100 ml or less. TSA PreCheck members keep that bag inside their carry-on at many checkpoints, yet the size limits still apply. Duty-free liquids from an international leg may travel through a U.S. connection only when the bottle sits inside an intact, tamper-evident bag, and even then officers may test it. When in doubt, place large duty-free bottles in checked baggage before you recheck bags on arrival.

Canada (CATSA)

Canada mirrors the 100 ml plus one-liter bag rule and publishes seasonal reminders that name sunscreen, bug spray, and aloe as liquids. At larger airports with modern scanners you might not remove electronics, yet the 100 ml cap remains unless the airport states otherwise. For medicine, CATSA asks travelers to present items at screening; prescription labels help.

United Kingdom (DfT)

The UK is rolling out advanced scanners. Many locations still apply the usual 100 ml limit. A growing group of airports allows bigger liquid volumes, up to two liters in total, when your flight departs from a lane using the new machines. Because layouts change during construction, airports may switch lanes during the day. Signs at security and airport notices take priority over older posts or videos you might see elsewhere.

European Union, EEA, And Switzerland

The long-standing 100 ml limit still applies at most airports. Some airports tested looser limits with C3 scanners and then returned to 100 ml while regulators aligned standards across countries. Expect the one-liter bag unless your departure airport clearly says another rule applies on your date of travel.

Australia And New Zealand

Both countries keep the 100 ml rule for liquids, aerosols, and gels, and both require you to present a single clear one-liter bag. Australia also has stricter rules for some powders. Empty drink bottles bigger than 100 ml are fine through security, so you can refill them airside.

How To Pack Liquids For Specific Trips

Carry-On Only For A Weekend

Plan one small bottle for each toiletry you truly need. Decant shampoo and conditioner into flat, leakproof bottles and squeeze out extra air so pressure changes don’t push product out. Pack a small face cleanser, a tiny serum, and a travel lotion, and use bar soap at the hotel or host. Keep all bottles in your quart-size bag at the top of your backpack or tote so you can reach it fast.

Long-Haul With A Baby Or Toddler

Bring enough formula, expressed milk, toddler drinks, and baby food to cover the flight plus a buffer for delays. Keep these items together in a clear pouch, tell the officer before screening, and expect testing. Add freezer packs to keep milk at a safe temperature; packs may be soft at room temperature and are still allowed when used to cool milk. Wipes, diapers, and empty bottles do not count as liquids.

Two Connections And A Tight Layover

If your route includes a second screening at a stricter airport, keep the carry-on setup conservative: 100 ml bottles in a one-liter bag, and no oversize gels or spreads. Skip souvenirs that contain liquid unless you can check them. For duty-free, buy at the final airport or ask a shop to seal the purchase properly in a STEB with the receipt visible.

Photography, Beauty, Or Fieldwork Kits

Artists and creators often pack special liquids: solvents, adhesives, fixers, or styling products. Many of these are restricted or flammable. Check the airline’s dangerous goods page before you pack. Where a small, non-hazardous liquid is allowed, pour it into a 100 ml bottle and label the contents. Keep a second copy of any safety sheet on your phone in case an officer asks questions.

Common Mistakes That Trigger Bag Checks

• A half-full 200 ml bottle in the liquids bag. Screeners judge the container size, not the amount left.
• Tossing loose travel bottles into a tote without the one-liter bag.
• Forgetting foods that smear: peanut butter, soft cheese, dips, pate.
• Carrying a big bottle of contact lens solution without declaring it.
• Packing a large aerosol marked “flammable” in a carry-on.
• Buying duty-free on the first leg when the next airport still applies 100 ml.
• Leaving the liquids bag buried under clothes or gear.

Checklist Before You Leave Home

• Check your departure airport’s security page for scanner updates.
• If you hold a trusted traveler card, confirm whether you can keep items in your bag at that checkpoint.
• Decant toiletries into 100 ml containers and seal caps tightly.
• Fill a quart-size bag but leave a little space.
• Put medical and baby liquids in a separate pouch with labels or a short doctor’s note.
• Pack an empty water bottle and a spare resealable bag in case your first one tears.

Key Takeaway For Your Next Trip

Pack for 100 ml and you’ll sail through almost any checkpoint, even when scanners can handle more. Keep bigger bottles for checked baggage or duty-free, declare medical and baby liquids, and plan connections with the strictest airport in mind. That simple routine keeps your carry-on compliant across countries while the new scanner rollout continues. Today.