What happens to things that are confiscated from us at the airport, and can they be returned?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confiscates many prohibited items at airports every day. Readers Digest talked about what TSA does with them, and whether passengers have a chance to return them.

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It happens to the best of us. You arrive at the airport, head to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoint, and place your bag on the conveyor belt. Moments later, the agent asks, “Is this your bag?” It does this before informing you that anything inside your bag is not allowed.

Such interactions result in TSA accumulating large quantities of confiscated items, ranging from bottles of perfume, aerosols, or liquids exceeding TSA's liter limit to sharp objects, knives, and flammable substances.

What does the TSA do with confiscated items?

Several options are possible. But it all depends on the type of item confiscated.

“When you're traveling, it's already a hectic time, so you forget a lot,” says Dan Velez, TSA spokesman for the New England region. “People usually don’t remember what they actually have in their carry-on luggage.”

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There are a number of items prohibited from being carried on an airplane that end up being turned over at security checkpoints across the country.

But what happens to these things? Is there any hope of getting them back?

The first thing to know is that the agency technically does not seize anything. Yes, there are strict TSA rules regarding carry-on luggage and items prohibited from air travel. But the TSA agent's job is not to confiscate these items, but simply to identify those that are prohibited on the flight and let you know that they will not get through security (at least in your carry-on luggage ).

Next, Velez says, you have several options.

You can:

• Check your bag for prohibited items inside.
• Hand over the item to the agents at the checkpoint.
• Take the item back to the car or give it to the person accompanying you.

“Let's say you have an eight-ounce bottle of shampoo and it's in your carry-on luggage. We will notify you that you are over your fluid limit. You may want to leave your shampoo bottle behind because you won't be able to walk any further with it,” explains a TSA spokesperson.

That is, in order to board the flight, you will have to return this bottle of shampoo or give it to your travel companion.

How many items does the TSA confiscate each year?

As you might expect, travelers hand over a lot of items to TSA agents, with the Transportation Security Administration checking 1,4 million checked bags and 5,5 million carry-on bags every day. There are a number of categories of prohibited items, making it difficult to determine how many end up in TSA custody.

Typically, these items are found in travelers' carry-on luggage, where they are discovered by TSA agents. Therefore, in order to board the flight, you must hand them in. In most cases, Velez said, agents hear from the passenger that he simply forgot that the prohibited item was in his bag.

However, there is one category of items that the TSA monitors very closely: firearms in carry-on luggage. The number of such finds has increased sharply. In 2022, TSA agents found a record 6542 firearms at 262 airports across the country. As of the summer of 2023, 3251 units have already been found.

What items are most often confiscated at the airport?

According to the TSA, liquids (bottled water, shampoo, soda, alcohol, soap and sunscreen) in bottles larger than 3,4 ounces are the most commonly checked items during airport security screening.

Other commonly donated items include pocket knives, multi-tools, and keychain knives. These are items that many travelers regularly pack and may not think about before heading to the airport.

What happens to firearms or drugs?

Some items in a bag can cause trouble. For example, a pistol or explosives in your hand luggage will cause you a lot of difficulties. Even concealed carry permit holders are prohibited from carrying guns at security checkpoints, in airport security areas, and on board commercial aircraft. You may place it in your checked baggage as long as you follow strict guidelines for packing and securing the weapon and any ammunition.

If one of these items is found in your carry-on luggage, TSA will confiscate it and contact local law enforcement for further inspection. It is then up to local law enforcement to decide what will happen to your property and you as it may involve any potential criminal charges. The TSA can impose a civil penalty of up to $14 and ban you from airports for five years.

As for drugs, the TSA is not specifically looking for them. However, its agents are required to report potential violations to law enforcement. Things get a little more complicated when it comes to things like marijuana (including medical marijuana), which is legal in some states but not in others (or at the federal level, where it remains illegal).

The TSA classifies medical marijuana as an item that can be packed in carry-on luggage, although there are special guidelines.

“TSA's screening process is security-focused and designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers,” the Transportation Security Administration said. “TSA officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is found during screening, TSA agents will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.”

Therefore, whether you end up getting into trouble will depend on the laws of the state where you are located.

What are the strangest items that have been confiscated?

While bottles of sunscreen and hair products are most often handed over to TSA agents, they have made much stranger discoveries. Some of them were included in the “Top 10 best catches of 2022”:

• Money stuffed into dirty crutches
• Inert grenade
• Electric whip in guitar case
• Gun or gun parts found inside PlayStations, clothing sleeves, raw chicken, and even in peanut butter jars
• Drugs in hair bands
• Knife hidden in laptop
• Fentanyl inside candy wrappers

Is it possible to return confiscated items?

If you decide (again voluntarily) to turn in an item at a TSA checkpoint, is there a way to get it back? Velez says no.

So what does the TSA do with these items? When travelers drop off items, agents warn them that they likely won't see them again. Some airports have mail stations near metal detectors, so you can pay to have small items sent home rather than checking them out.

According to the TSA, the government has strict regulations. Weapons, hazardous materials and anything considered illegal are turned over to local law enforcement. Prohibited liquids are disposed of immediately, and remaining items are either turned over to government agencies or held by TSA for disposal through sale, destruction, or donation to charity.

“We collect these items for anywhere from one to three months, and then a representative from the state surplus warehouse comes. We give everything that we hand over there, and they sell it at auction,” says Velez.

You can try to find your discarded property through GovDeals, where some agencies sell seized goods through bidding. But this is hardly a reliable method, and you may have to pay a few dollars to get your items back.

Any profits from the sale of confiscated TSA items go to the U.S. Treasury Department and the general fund used to pay off the United States national debt.

What can you buy

If you go to the site GovDeals.com, you'll find all sorts of items up for auction, some (such as photocopiers) that clearly came from offices or government agencies, but others that were dropped off at the airport.

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For example, there is an advertisement for the sale of 4 kg of “various nail clippers and other sharp objects” with bids starting from $2. There's a whole shipping container filled with various things, many of which look like toy guns or water guns, as well as similar shaped objects.

How to avoid confiscation of things

It is best to learn the rules for traveling by plane. Remember:

• When packing, start with an empty suitcase so you don't end up with unexpected items in your bag.
• Remember the 3-1-1 rule for liquids in carry-on luggage—less than 3,4 ounces is allowed. They must be placed in one transparent, resealable plastic bag with a capacity of one liter. One such container is allowed per traveler.
• Get to the airport in plenty of time. If you have a prohibited item in your bag, you have time to take it back to your car.

• When traveling on vacation, don't pack gifts before flying (the TSA may have to unwrap them).
• Never pack firearms, knives or weapons in your carry-on baggage.

As a result, such a comprehensive check of your own luggage will help not only you, but also the travelers around you.

“Any time there are two, three, four people in front of you and they have a prohibited item, it slows down the line,” Velez emphasizes. - Alas. We try to resolve these incidents as quickly as possible."

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