Flying This Halloween? Here's What the TSA Wants You to Know
Because nobody wants to get their Halloween candy or lightsaber taken away at security.
Halloween is coming up, and if you're like me, you're commuting to a different city to attend your scary festivities. And if you plan on traveling via plane to get to those parties, then you probably need to doublecheck your packing list against TSA policies. Because all that costume gear you're packing? The TSA has rules for all of it, from candies to lightsabers.
For instance, if part of your costume includes fake explosives, that is an item for your checked bag, not your carry-on. In fact, any fake weapon or weapon costume accessory should not be packed in your onboard items. Those items have to be checked.
On social media this week, the TSA has been sharing reminders about its baggage policies as they relate to Halloween festivities, often in its signature cheeky tone. In a Tuesday post, it offered up photographic evidence of a replica explosive a traveler attempted to bring through security earlier this month.
But worry not, not all of the Halloween fun has to be tucked away—candy can be packed in your carry-on items. Here's the agency's exact guidance when it comes to the sweet stuff:
"Solid food items (not liquids or gels) can be transported in either your carry-on or checked bags. Liquid or gel food items larger than 3.4 oz are not allowed in carry-on bags and should be placed in your checked bags if possible.
TSA officers may instruct travelers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine."
If you aren't sure if your Halloween costume or prop is TSA-friendly, the agency's What Can I Bring tool covers just about every item under the sun. Don't believe me? The guidance on lightsabers is that you can bring them. "Sadly, the technology doesn't currently exist to create a real lightsaber. However, you can pack a toy lightsaber in your carry-on or checked bag. May the force be with you," the TSA guidance states.
Other items that are OK to bring on flights and in your checked bag? Harry Potter wands and artificial skeletal bones. Items that aren't OK? Nunchucks.