TSA “Checkpoint Friendly” Laptop Bag Procedures: A Tutorial

Posted on 15 August 2008 by


We’ve mentioned some of the bags that will comply with their “Checkthrough” regulations the past, and now the TSA has finally posted the official procedures for getting through their checkpoints without actually removing your laptop; of course all will hinge on consumers purchasing the proper type of bag…

TSA screens laptops to see if the electronics have been tampered with. TSOs know what the inside of a computer should look like, and can recognize irregularities. This is why they need an unobstructed view as the item moves through the X-ray machine.

Purchasing one of these bags will not guarantee that you can leave your laptop in your bag for screening. If a TSO finds that the bag does not present a clear and distinct image of the laptop separate from the rest of the bag, the laptop will have to be screened separately.

How can you be sure that your laptop bag is “checkpoint friendly”? Here are the guidelines:

Of course, nothing can ever be as simple as we might like, right? The TSA isn’t “approving or endorsing any bag design or manufacturer” and they “will only allow laptops to stay in bags through screening if they provide a clear and unobstructed X-ray image of the laptop.” In addition, the TSA “reserves the right to re-screen any bag or laptop regardless of the design of the bag.”

My guess is that there will still be a line at the beginning of the TSA conveyor belt for some time; between the people who won’t want to upgrade their bags and the bags that simply won’t pass, I suspect the time saved will be minimal. Hopefully that will improve in time. :-)

Link: TSA: New ‘Checkpoint Friendly’ Laptop Bag Procedures

Link: Skooba Design’s Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags: Yes, We Have Photos!

Link: More Checkpoint Friendly Bags; These From Mobile Edge

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- who has written 1699 posts on Gear Diary.

I started Gear Diary on September 30, 2006, and my goal was that this not be an easily labeled site. We all have gear that we use daily – some of it electronic and some of it organic. I think it is fascinating to explore the equipment that makes our lives easier, more entertaining, more productive, and more manageable. My hope is that Gear Diary visitors will find this site to be a comfortable and friendly place to discuss interesting topics – and not only those that are tech related, as well as a location to discover various types of gear – whatever that term may end up implying – that they never knew existed. My specialty is in-depth reviews written in a layman’s terms, because everyone can understand technology, sometimes it just takes a little translating. +Judie Stanford

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  • Joel McLaughlin

    I hate that my proffered bag isn’t on the list…..what of someone made a trifold backpack?? I guess this also means my Proporta Gadget bag I use for my Eee PC will be ok….as long as I zip off the little pockets on the side of it.

  • http://www.geardiary.com Judie Lipsett

    Feh; I figure that for now I will just slip my Air in and out of its case, and continue on as usual; it’s certainly not too big of a PITA. :-)