<!-- Plain-text copy of https://flightplanb.com/tsa-cheat-sheet, generated from the page itself. Same words, no menus or scripts. -->

Free checkpoint cheat sheet · rules checked against tsa.gov on Oct 5, 2026

# Things that get your bag pulled at TSA that you wouldn't expect.

Peanut butter. Jam. Ground coffee, tea bags and spices. A snow globe. A power bank in the wrong bag. Three pages, every rule from tsa.gov, each one numbered to the TSA page it came from.

Free. No signup, no email. Tap the button and the PDF downloads.

[DOWNLOAD THE PDF 3 pages · free · no signup](https://flightplanb.com/media/flight-plan-b-tsa-cheat-sheet.pdf)

The one rule behind most of it

## If you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it: 3.4 ounces.

In a carry-on, anything you can spill, spread, spray, pump or pour has to be **3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less**, and all of it goes together in one quart-size bag. Anything bigger goes in your checked bag. That is TSA's own rule of thumb for its 3-1-1 liquids rule. ([tsa.gov/travel/travel-tips](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/travel-tips))

That is why a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jam or a can of cranberry sauce can hold up a whole line. They are food, but they spread.

A few from inside the PDF

## What TSA lists for nine of them.

| Item | Carry-on | Checked bag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Peanut butter](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/peanut-butter) | 3.4 oz or less | Allowed |
| [Jam and jelly](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/jam-and-jelly) | 3.4 oz or less | Allowed |
| [Ground coffee, tea bags, spices](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/coffee-beans-or-ground) | Allowed. TSA says officers may have you separate foods and powders. From our own trips, not a TSA rule: the bag was pulled for a second look | Allowed |
| [Cranberry sauce](https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2025/11/25/tsa-prepares-for-busy-thanksgiving-travel-miami-international) | TSA lists it as a must-check holiday food | Allowed |
| [Gel-type candles](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/gel-type-candles) | Not allowed | Allowed |
| [Power banks and phone chargers](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/phone-chargers) | Allowed | Not allowed |
| [Matches](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/matches-safety-matches) | One book of safety matches | Not allowed |
| [Cooking spray](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/cooking-spray) | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| [Torch lighters](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/lighters-torch) | Not allowed | Not allowed |

The PDF has about twenty more, plus the things that are allowed but still get a bag pulled, and the two exemptions most people don't know about (baby items and medically necessary liquids).

How it was made

## Only what TSA says.

- **Every rule is from tsa.gov.** Each one carries a number that points to the TSA page it came from, listed on the last page.
- **Each item follows its own page on tsa.gov.** An item with no page of its own (cranberry sauce) follows TSA's holiday press release. Items TSA doesn't clearly rule on were left out.
- **No reasons TSA didn't give.** Where TSA's page gives no explanation, the PDF says so.
- **Rules change, and the officer at the checkpoint makes the final decision.** When you're not sure, TSA's [What Can I Bring?](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all) list is the place to look.

[DOWNLOAD THE PDF 3 pages · free · no signup](https://flightplanb.com/media/flight-plan-b-tsa-cheat-sheet.pdf)

Going somewhere you've never flown from?

## Flight Plan B is a voice in your ear for each airport step.

Which checkpoint, where to be and by when, at both ends of the trip. It opens in your phone's browser. **$15 a trip, no subscription.**

[SEE HOW IT WORKS free tools on the front page](https://flightplanb.com/?src=tsa-cheat-sheet)

Flying out of Las Vegas? [The free LAS Insider guide](https://flightplanb.com/las?src=tsa-cheat-sheet) · [Privacy](https://flightplanb.com/privacy)

© 2026 Smooth Rock Media LLC · Flight Plan B · [Terms](https://flightplanb.com/terms) · [Privacy](https://flightplanb.com/privacy) · [Live FAA airport delays](https://flightplanb.com/delays)
Rules checked against tsa.gov on October 5, 2026. TSA changes its rules, and the officer at the checkpoint makes the final decision. Not affiliated with or endorsed by TSA, any airline or any airport.
