Tipsheet

Noem: This Longstanding TSA Rule May Change

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  July 17, 2025 3:15 PM

On Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hinted that the restrictions on liquids transported in carry-on items at US airports may soon change. 

For years, the standard has been that carry-on luggage can only have containers with 3.4 ounces of liquids or fewer in a single, quart-sized bag. There are limited exceptions to this rule.

This is why so many travelers are forced to throw away toiletries in their luggage or chug bottles of water in the TSA line. Larger liquids must be in checked baggage. 

“The day I walked in the door, I started questioning everything TSA does,” Noem told NewsNation’s Blake Burman at the Hill Nation Summit this week. 

“The liquids [policy] I am questioning, so, that may be the next big announcement, is what size your liquids need to be,” she added. “We’re looking at it.”

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Earlier this month, DHS announced that travelers would no longer need to remove their shoes when going through the TSA line at US airports. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed this on X.

On X, Noem said that this was done to “modernize and enhance” traveler experience. 

“We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,” she added. “This initiative is just one of many the Trump administration is pursuing to usher in the President’s vision for a new Golden Age of American travel.”