Harry Potter wand? Tattoo gun? Live fish? Here are 11 items you can get through TSA, onto your flight

Melissa Pérez-Carrillo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Updated ·3 min read

Summer travel is here (yay) and so are TSA wait times (boo). Make your security check a bit smoother and faster by following TSA guidelines for packing. Here are 11 TSA-approved items.

Harry Potter Wand

Bringing back a souvenir from Universal’s Harry Potter World? No problem. Just make sure not to Wingardium Leviosa the TSA agent.

Live Fish

Need to bring an emotional support fish? Live fish in water and a clear, transparent container are allowed after inspection by a TSA officer.

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Hookah

Hookahs are allowed in both check and carry-on bags. Make sure to remove water and clean it before packing. Oh, and leave the charcoal at home, per TSA rules.

Tattoo Guns

Hey, flights can get to be pretty long and boring. Tattoo guns are permitted as a carry on, and those with lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries should be carried in carry-on baggage.

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Body armor

Body armor is allowed in carry-on and checked bags, but keep in mind that TSA officers make the final decision on whether an item is allowed through checkpoint. Armor up at your own risk.

Dry Ice

The cool, smokey thing from middle school science class? The FAA limits passengers to 5.5 pounds of dry ice that is properly stored in a vented package and marked. Airline approval is required.

Alcoholic beverages

So long as it’s 3.4 ounces or less, booze is allowed in carry-on bags. For checked in bags, passengers are limited to 5 liters and no more than 70% alcohol.

Medical Cannabis

Although cannabis and some CBD oil are illegal under federal law, there is some gray areas when traveling with cannabis. Products that contain no more than 0.3 percent of THC are the exception.

“TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers,” TSA said on its site. “Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.”

If you have a medical marijuana card, it will only be recognized if you’re traveling between states where medical marijuana is legalized.

Parachutes

Yes, parachutes are allowed in carry-on and in checked bags. They should be packed separately from other baggage and will be subject to inspection by a TSA agent.

Disposable and Zippo lighters

Passengers are limited to one lighter per person, and two Disposable and Zippo lighters without fuel are allowed in checked bags. Make sure to bag them in a DOT approved case.

Non-infectious biological specimens

Biology professor? Biology enthusiast? TSA kindly asks to have no more than 30 ml of free liquid solution in each inner packaging and no more than 1-liter in the outer package.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: TSA-approved items for summer travels: List of 11 things you can take