Can You Bring Liquor on a Plane?

Can you bring liquor on a plane?

Yes, liquor is allowed in both carry-on and checked bags, within limits set by its strength. In your carry-on, liquor is treated as a liquid, so the TSA limits it to containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less that fit in your quart-size bag, which in practice means airline-style mini bottles. Full-size bottles of spirits belong in your checked luggage. Because most liquor is bottled well above the carry-on size, checked baggage is where a standard bottle travels. One rule holds no matter where you pack it: you cannot drink your own liquor onboard; only alcohol served by a flight attendant may be consumed.

How much liquor can you pack in checked luggage?

For spirits, the limit is 5 liters per passenger. Liquor between 24 and 70 percent alcohol by volume, which covers most whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, and tequila, is capped at 5 liters (1.3 gallons) per passenger in checked bags and must stay in unopened retail packaging. That is roughly six standard 750-milliliter bottles, plenty for gifts or souvenirs. The catch is proof: any liquor above 70 percent ABV, or 140 proof, such as grain alcohol and 151-proof rum, is prohibited in both carry-on and checked baggage because it is a fire hazard. Check the label before packing a high-proof bottle, since it will be confiscated if it crosses that line.

Can you bring liquor in your carry-on?

Only in mini-bottle sizes. Carry-on liquor follows the 3-1-1 rule with no exception for a bottle you paid a lot for, so each container must be 3.4 ounces or less and fit in your single quart-size bag. That limits you to the small airline-style bottles, not a standard fifth of whiskey. A larger bottle will be stopped at the checkpoint because the container itself is over the limit, even if it is sealed. The exception is duty-free: a bottle of liquor bought at an international airport can come through in a sealed, tamper-evident bag when you are connecting to a United States flight, as long as the seal and receipt are intact.

Can you drink your own liquor on the plane?

No. Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibit passengers from drinking their own alcohol onboard; only liquor served by the flight crew may be consumed, and crew cannot serve someone who is intoxicated. So the bottle in your checked bag or the mini in your quart bag has to stay sealed until you land. Breaking this rule can lead to significant fines. Keep destination limits in mind too: United States customs generally allows about one liter of alcohol per adult duty-free on arrival, with duty owed above that, and some countries restrict or ban alcohol entirely. Check the rules of where you are going before packing several bottles of liquor.