Knives | Transportation Security Administration (2024)

FAQs

Can I get my knife back from TSA? ›

In most cases, you have 30 days to recover your lost item. Contacting the airport lost and found department directly is the quickest route to getting the item back that you've left at a security checkpoint.

To receive TSA PreCheck®, you must include your Known Traveler Number (your CBP PASSID for Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI members) in the appropriate field of your airline reservation, and the TSA PreCheck® indicator must be displayed on the boarding pass to access the lanes.

You may wonder if you're doing something to trigger the extra screening. If you're short on time, here's a quick answer: There are several reasons why some travelers get repeatedly picked for pat-downs, including random selection, body scanner alarms, bulky clothing, and anomalies detected during screening.

If you accidentally go through security with your pocket knife, you'll likely be given four options: Take the item back and check it in your luggage. Give the item to someone who is seeing you off, if they are still at the airport. Take the item to your car.

Lost and found items retained by TSA for a minimum of thirty (30) days, and if not claimed, are either destroyed, turned over to a state agency for surplus property, or sold by TSA as excess property. The state may dispose of the items through sales, destruction, donations or charities.

The application process is a relatively simple one. And although membership does come with a fee attached, it can be an investment worth making, as TSA PreCheck lasts for several years.

Visit tsa.gov/precheck to select the enrollment provider that best meets your needs and has an enrollment location near you. You can pre-enroll online and make an appointment for the in-person process, or walk-in to an enrollment center without an appointment.

A pat-down may include inspection of the head, neck, arms, torso, legs, and feet. This includes head coverings and sensitive areas such as breasts, groin, and the buttocks. You may be required to adjust clothing during the pat-down.

Why did TSA check my shoulder? ›

As one of many security measures, pat-down procedures are used to determine if prohibited items or other threats to transportation security are concealed on the person. Learn about what to expect if you receive pat-down screening.

Farbstein said the short answer is no, you can't refuse a pat-down. If the millimeter wave scanner is set off, TSA is required to investigate. “If somebody triggers an alarm at the checkpoint, the way to resolve the alarm is to do a pat-down,” Farbstein said. “This has been the procedure for years.”

Guns, weapons, hazardous materials or anything deemed illegal are turned over to local law enforcement, and all forbidden liquids are immediately disposed of. All other items are either turned over to state agencies or kept by the TSA to be disposed of through sales, destruction or donations to charity.

In general, you are prohibited from traveling with sharp objects in your carry-on baggage; please pack these items in your checked baggage. For more prohibited items, please go to the 'What Can I Bring?' page.

According to statistics, the TSA confiscates an average of nine to ten firearms a day from carry-on bags. Other prohibited items that the agency collects include sharp objects such as throwing stars, swords, and knives. These are in hundreds of thousands, if not tens of thousands, every year.

There are vast amounts of weapons seized in airports each year. These confiscated weapons, such as loaded firearms, unlicensed guns, and dangerous weapons, are usually destroyed, kept as prosecution's evidence, auctioned on eBay, or sold at a state surplus warehouse store.

The TSA will charge you a fine based on the type of prohibited item you possessed: Unloaded firearms: a fine of $2,050 to $4,100. Loaded firearms: a fine of $4,100 to $10,250. Unloaded firearms with accessible ammunition: treated the same as a loaded firearm.

One of the most common items the TSA confiscates is firearms. Most people forget them in their carry-on bags, and the agent has no choice but to take them. It's worth mentioning that even when weapons are in checked luggage, TSA may confiscate them.

In order to protect your rights under Federal law and to file a valid claim, you must send your claim in writing to TSA, stating the circ*mstances of your loss and the exact amount you are claiming, within two (2) years of the incident. The claim must be sufficient in order to be accepted and examined by TSA.