Last Updated on April 10, 2023
Key Takeaways
- The TSA considers butter at room temperature to be a liquid
- When packed in carry-on luggage butter must be in containers less than 3.4 oz and packed in your one quart-size bag
- You can pack butter in checked luggage without restriction
TSA Butter Rules
The Transportation Security Administration carried out screening of your luggage to stop certain items being brought on to the plane.
They don’t specifically mention butter on their website but Julie recently asked the TSA if she could bring butter on the plane on Twitter.
Thank you for reaching out to us. Butter must be in containers that are 3.4oz or less when packed in a carry-on bag. The container must be placed in a single quart-size, resealable bag with other travel-sized liquids, gels and aerosols. Larger containers/quantities must be packed in checked bags.
@AskTsa on Twitter
The TSA often explains it like this:
Any item that you can pump, squeeze, spread, smear, spray or spill must follow our liquids rule in carry-on bags.
TSA
At room temperature butter is spreadable, so the TSA considers it to be a liquid and it must be under 3.4 oz and in your quart-size toiletries bag when packed in hand luggage.
Of course, everyone knows that butter straight from the refrigerator is far from spreadable!
That leads to an interesting question. What if your butter was frozen solid at the TSA checkpoint?
Dan asked the question:
Frozen butter is allowed if it’s frozen solid when presented for screening. If it’s not frozen solid then it must comply with our liquids rule, be 3.4oz or less & packed in your quart-sized bag along with other travel-sized liquids.
@AskTsa on Twitter
So if you want to bring butter in quantities larger than 3.4 ounces in your hand luggage they must be frozen solid at the moment you go through airport security. Easier said than done, but perhaps Julie above could have frozen her butter solid and packed it in ice before going to the airport. You can also bring dry ice on a plane to keep things frozen.
Also, butter that is already part of a food can be brought on a plane. A sandwich is considered to be a solid food and permitted in hand luggage even if you have already spread butter on the bread.
As it happens, you can bring a round bladed butter knife without a serrated edge for spreading your butter on the plane. It’s the only type of knife that you are permitted to bring on the plane.
Still Unsure? Ask The TSA
You can reach out to the TSA on Twitter if you have further questions.
Leah asked about taking cocoa butter in her carry-on:
Eileen thought that shea butter was a solid:
But for the TSA shea butter must follow the liquids rule.
Amy asked about bringing more than 3.4 ounces of sunflower butter on the plane for a medical reason.
You can bring more than 3.4 oz of butter in your hand luggage if you can convince the TSA agent at airport security that it is medically necessary.
Butter used to be used by the ancient Romans as a medicine to treat sore throats or painful joints.
And today Ayurvedic medicine still uses clarified butter or ghee as a remedy for dry eyes.
I’m not sure if the TSA officers would believe your stick of Land O’Lakes is medically necessary but it might be worth a try if you feel like taking a gamble and don’t mind bending the rules!