TSA item rule · verified 2026-07-02

Can you bring nail polish & remover on a plane?

TSA's official answer, checked against tsa.gov on 2026-07-02.

Polish and remover are two liquids, not one exception

Both bottles go in the quart bag and both are held to 3.4 oz (100 ml). Acetone remover gets no special treatment at the checkpoint for being a solvent, and polish gets none for being small — a collection of six little bottles still has to fit the same bag as your toothpaste and sunscreen.

The checked-bag ceiling is a flammability limit

Nail polish and remover are flammable liquids, which is why the hold limits are the FAA's rather than TSA's: no single toiletry container over 500 ml (17 fl oz), and no more than 2 L (68 fl oz) of toiletry and medicinal articles per passenger in total. Ordinary polish bottles are tiny against that ceiling; a litre of remover is not, and salon quantities are a different conversation with the airline.

A manicure kit answers to more than one entry

The polish and the remover are liquids; the metal is not. Clippers, files and scissors are judged under the sharp-object entries instead — nail clippers are allowed outright, while scissors clear the cabin only with blades under 4 inches from the pivot. Pack the kit expecting two rules, not one.

Source for the rule above: FAA PackSafe — Aerosols

Liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on follow the TSA 3-1-1 rule. The final decision always rests with the TSA officer at the checkpoint.

Source: TSA — What Can I Bring? · checked 2026-07-02

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