Laptops at TSA: Carry-On, Checked Bags and Screening Rules

Where these numbers come from

A laptop is permitted in both carry-on and checked luggage, so the question is really about screening and battery safety. In a standard lane, TSA asks you to take the laptop out of your bag and place it in its own bin for X-ray. Travelers with TSA PreCheck can leave it in the bag, along with shoes, belts, light jackets and their 3-1-1 liquids. The reason is image clarity: a laptop packed among cables and clothes can hide other items from the X-ray, and a clear view speeds the line for everyone behind you.

The FAA adds a second layer because laptops contain lithium batteries. Its guidance says devices with lithium cells should travel in the cabin, where the crew can respond to smoke or heat. If you do check a laptop, it must be completely powered off, not asleep and not hibernating, and protected from being switched on or damaged. Put it in a padded sleeve in the middle of the suitcase, away from the edges, and never wrap a powered charger around it.

Spare batteries for the laptop are a separate matter. Spare lithium ion batteries may only go in the carry-on, limited to 100 Wh each, and up to two larger ones of 101 to 160 Wh may fly with airline approval. Wh equals volts times amp-hours, so an 11.4 V, 5 Ah pack comes to about 57 Wh, well below the cap. Most ordinary laptops have installed batteries under 100 Wh, so the limit matters mainly for external packs and photography gear. If your bag is taken at the gate, remove spare batteries and keep them with you.

Practical tips: charge the laptop before the flight, close the lid and remove the power brick from any cable loop, and if the agent takes your carry-on at the gate, pull out the laptop and any spare battery first. Any device showing heat, swelling or smoke should be reported to the crew at once. For related items, see portable chargers, lithium batteries and tripods for camera gear. The Can I bring it? TSA finder has the current listing for tablets and other electronics.

Sources

• TSA Laptops
• FAA PackSafe: Portable electronic devices with batteries
• FAA PackSafe: Lithium batteries
• TSA What Can I Bring? complete list

Figures checked on September 30, 2026.

This page is general information, not legal, insurance or travel-agent advice. Fees, rules and limits change, so confirm the figures with the official sources listed above before you book or travel.