The Transportation Security Administration on Sunday issued guidance advising travelers to pack electric toothbrushes with lithium batteries in carry-on luggage and to place any spare or uninstalled lithium batteries in the cabin as well, citing safety concerns about battery fires.
The agency said flight crews are better able to recognize and respond to a lithium battery fire if the battery is in the passenger cabin. The Federal Aviation Administration has warned that if a powered toothbrush is placed in checked baggage, it must be completely powered off and protected to prevent unintentional activation or damage.
The guidance follows longstanding aviation rules for batteries and expands on commonly misunderstood items in travelers’ luggage. TSA and FAA restrictions on batteries aim to reduce the risk of fires caused by damaged or short-circuited lithium cells, which can ignite and are difficult to extinguish in the cargo hold.
In addition to electric toothbrushes, TSA reminded passengers that cordless hair tools powered by gas cartridges or butane are banned in checked baggage. Those items may be carried in the cabin if they are packed safely in a carry-on bag, the agency said.
The new guidance arrives amid a broader reexamination of screening policies. On July 7, TSA stopped routinely requiring travelers to remove shoes at checkpoints, extending a measure that had previously been limited largely to those enrolled in the expedited TSA PreCheck program. The shoe-removal requirement had been widely applied after a 2001 attempt to detonate explosives hidden in footwear.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has publicly questioned other longstanding TSA rules, including the limit on liquids, aerosols and gels that passengers may carry through security. "The day I walked in the door, I started questioning everything TSA does," Noem told NewsNation at a summit this year. "I will tell you, I mean, the liquids [rule] I am questioning. So that may be the next big announcement is what size your liquids need to be. We're looking at it." DHS and TSA have not announced any formal change to the liquids rule.
Transportation safety officials have emphasized that lithium batteries pose a different risk profile than other common travel items because of the way they can fail. When a lithium battery experiences thermal runaway, it can generate intense heat and flames; crews and responders can detect and address such incidents more rapidly in the cabin than in the aircraft’s cargo compartments.
Passengers are advised to check airline and TSA guidance before travel. TSA routinely updates its carry-on and checked baggage rules to reflect safety assessments and regulatory changes, and airlines may impose additional restrictions. Travelers carrying spare lithium batteries should ensure terminals are protected, batteries are kept in their original packaging or individual plastic sleeves, and devices are prevented from turning on accidentally, TSA guidance and FAA advisories note.
Airport screening procedures and packing advisories remain subject to change as DHS and aviation authorities review security measures and operational safety protocols. For now, TSA’s guidance is clear: installed and spare lithium batteries, including those for electric toothbrushes, should be packed in carry-on bags, and devices placed in checked luggage must be powered off and secured to prevent accidental activation.
