Can eye drops go through airport X-ray?

Yes. Eye drops in your carry-on go through the airport X-ray like everything else, and TSA says medications can be screened by X-ray or visually. A small bottle fits in your quart-size liquids bag. If you’d rather it not be X-rayed or opened, tell the TSA officer before screening starts; they’ll clear it another way, which means extra screening for you and your bag.

How TSA screens medications

TSA’s page on disabilities and medical conditions has a section on medications. It says medications must go through security screening, that they can undergo visual or X-ray screening, and that they may be tested for traces of explosives. That applies to pills and liquids alike. TSA also notes that clearly labeled medication makes screening easier.

For eye drops, that usually means the bottle rides through the X-ray tunnel in your liquids bag, and nothing more happens. If the image raises a question, an officer may take a closer look or swab the outside of the container. TSA’s liquids rule adds that any liquid that alarms during screening requires additional screening.

Do eye drops count toward the 3-1-1 bag?

Under TSA’s liquids rule, you can carry a quart-size bag of liquids, gels and creams in containers of 3.4 ounces, or 100 milliliters, or less each. A bottle of Quell is .33 fl oz (10 mL), well under that limit, so it can simply go in your quart bag. Medications are also exempt from the size limit: TSA allows larger amounts of medically necessary liquids in reasonable quantities for your trip, as long as you declare them at the checkpoint. Most people traveling with a small bottle of drops never need that exemption. Dry eyes on a plane covers using drops in the air.

Declaring eye drops at the checkpoint

You don’t have to declare a small bottle that’s already in your quart bag. Declaring makes sense when you’re carrying more than the liquids rule allows, or when you want the drops handled differently. TSA’s guidance for medically necessary liquids is:

• Before screening begins, tell the TSA officer you have medically necessary liquids.
• Take them out of your carry-on and place them in a separate bin, along with any related accessories.
• If a liquid alarms, expect additional screening. If the alarm can’t be resolved, the item may not be allowed.
• The final decision on whether an item goes through rests with the TSA officer.

Can you refuse X-ray for eye drops?

Yes. TSA’s page says to tell the officer if you don’t want your liquid medication screened by X-ray or opened. Officers will then take additional steps to clear the liquid, and you’ll go through additional screening yourself, which may include the body scanner, a pat-down and a closer search of your carry-on. It takes longer, so allow time if you plan to ask.

Quell’s label says nothing about X-ray screening either way, so whether to ask for an alternative is your call. You can read the whole panel on the Drug Facts page before you fly. If you have a question about it, the company’s line is 615.465.6041, M–F 9AM–5PM CST.

Will TSA open a sealed bottle?

Sometimes officers can’t clear a liquid with their screening technology. TSA’s page says that in that case you may be asked to open the container for vapor analysis, and that screening will never include placing anything into a medically necessary liquid. If you don’t want a new, sealed bottle opened, say so before screening, and the officer will use other steps along with extra screening of you and your bags.

A sealed bottle is worth protecting for practical reasons. The tamper seal is how you know a bottle hasn’t been opened since it left the maker, and unopened Quell bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery. Packing a spare in its carton, with the seal intact, makes it easy to identify.

Packing eye drops for screening

• Keep the bottle in its original carton or with its original label, so officers can see what it is.
• Put the bottle you’re using in your quart bag where you can reach it quickly.
• Pack spares in their sealed cartons; declare them if you’re carrying more than the liquids rule allows.
• Keep the cap closed tightly so a bag squeeze doesn’t push liquid onto the tip.
• Carry drops in your carry-on so they stay with you.

Temperature and timing on travel days

Screening itself isn’t the only thing a bottle goes through on a trip. The label’s storage range is Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and a bag left in a hot car in an airport garage or on a cold jet bridge in January can drift outside it. Keep the bottle with you as much as possible. Use your drop before you get in the security line or after you’re through, with clean hands; the label’s handling rule still applies in an airport: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. Traveling with eye drops has a full packing checklist.

International flights

TSA’s rules cover US airports. Security screening abroad follows the rules of the country you’re leaving, and they can differ. If you’re flying home from another country, check that airport’s guidance before you pack. Quell ships only within the United States, so bring enough for the whole trip.