Are TSA Rules Always Changing on Purpose? Here's the Truth
This is what the federal agency has to say about all those viral TikToks.
On this fine Thursday morning I am happy to announce that no, you have not lost your marbles and your brain is not playing wild tricks on you. The rumors are, in fact, somewhat true: TSA rules—the ones that all of us find ourselves questioning when in line for airport security—do actually change and are not, technically, set in stone.
Don't look at me—the TSA said it! But it's a little more complicated than that, so before we get into it, let me explain why I took it upon myself to embark on this investigative travel journey.
Picture the last time you were at the airport. You're the next one up for security check, and your laptop is in your bag. TSA agents aren't giving you any hints. Do you oh-so-confidently pull it out of your bag and place it in a separate bin, do you assertively keep it in your luggage, or do you sheepishly ask an agent what to do?
If you're like me, and like the majority of travelers, you'll find yourself choosing the last option—because, somehow, many travelers are confused about what to do at security checks, since rules seem to be changing all the time. Within this community of frustrated travelers (to which I proudly belong), a few members decided to share their thoughts on TikTok. Thanks to these videos, I now know I am not alone in my TSA frustrations.
"TSA never fails to make me feel like the dumbest person alive," reads the overtext on a recent TikTok video with over 1.4 million views. "On the way here they said 'keep everything in your bags including laptops.' now on the way home they're like 'are you [redacted] stupid? Why do you have your laptop in your bag??'"
Many, many travelers appear to have experienced the same phenomenon. On the social media platform, other users poke fun at the situation—most of them by bringing up the same old laptop dilemma, like the TikTokers from this video and this other one.
And so we asked the TSA directly. Are they always changing the rules on us or are we losing our minds? According to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein, the answer is neither.
"TSA has standard operating procedures across the country depending on what equipment is at the local checkpoint, which is why it is very important for travelers to pay attention to the guidance that the TSA officers are providing at a checkpoint," Farbstein told Thrillist. "Our screening procedures are the same, but the technology available at airports may differ somewhat."
In short, TSA rules always stay the same—but they might actually vary depending on the airport you're flying out from and on its available equipment. At times, you might even encounter slightly different processes within the same airport, and it has to do with very specific security check methodology. "Sometimes officers remind travelers to leave their shoes on if they have been screened by a passenger screening canine while they were in a checkpoint line," said the spokesperson. "In which case, the traveler can keep their shoes on. Also, travelers 75 and older are permitted to keep on their shoes."
And to answer everybody's question about those damn laptops—once again, it depends. This time, it depends on the scanners the airport is equipped with. Computed tomography scanners are the créme de la créme of scanners, and they allow TSA agents to see 3D pictures of your bag and what's inside. As the spokesperson explains, in airports that have these scanners on hand, passengers may be advised to leave their electronics in their bag. If it's an X-ray scanner, instead, the officers cannot access these 3D images, so electronics must be taken out and placed separately.
Hopefully, this has cleared your doubts and given you some peace of mind. This detective mission is over—onto the next one. And if you have any other TSA-related doubts, feel free to visit the TSA website or reach out directly to the agency on X (formerly known as Twitter) or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA.