How to Fly With Vitamins in Carry On & Checked Baggage

Committed to your supplement stack or daily multivitamin? Learn how to fly with vitamins to keep the TSA from mistaking your supplements as medication or contraband in our complete, detailed guide. 

You’ll discover the rules for bringing vitamins with you on the plane in your carry on or checked baggage as well as the current limits and rules for packing these items to follow TSA protocol. 

Can You Fly With Vitamins?

You can fly with vitamins, but you’ll need to read up on the TSA rules for supplements to ensure your travel isn’t slowed down with additional screenings and security checks. 

Thankfully, vitamins don’t fall under the TSA medication rules and don’t need to be labeled or kept in their original packaging to be cleared at the security checkpoint. 

You can fly with vitamins in your carry on bag (more limits and rules) or checked baggage (relaxed limits and rules) to stick to your supplement regimen while you travel. 

Below, we’ll show you the different rules and limits for traveling with vitamins on a plane and how to fly with vitamins in your carry on or checked baggage. 

How to Fly With Vitamins in a Carry On

It’s usually more convenient to travel with your vitamins in a carry on bag, especially if you’ll have layovers or multiple flights before reaching your destination. 

Learning how to fly with vitamins in your carry on bag is essential to ensure you’re following all the TSA rules and regulations without any security issues that can slow down your travel. 

Carry On Solid Vitamins

• Tablets, pills, and capsules
• Soft gels and gummies
• Chewable vitamins
• Vitamin, protein, or energy powders

If your vitamins are in tablet, capsule, soft gel, gummy, pill, chewable, or powder form, you can bring them along on your travels in your carry on bag. The TSA doesn’t even require you to label them or carry them in their original packaging. 

There is no real limit on the amount or number of solid vitamins you can bring in your carry on bag – it just needs to be a reasonable amount to be considered as intended for “personal use.”

That means even if you have an extensive vitamin regimen, you won’t be limited in how many solid vitamins you can bring with you for your trip. They can be in their original packaging, in a pill organizer, or even in a plastic baggie. 

In general, it’s wise to bring no more than a 90-day supply, since more than that could be flagged as being more than is needed for personal use. 

People often wonder if soft gels, like fish oil capsules or gel formulations of vitamin D, can be brought along in a carry on bag.

They can, and the TSA has confirmed that they fall under the “solid” category and don’t need to packed in a quart-sized clear bag like other liquids you might bring in your carry on bag. 

When bringing powdered vitamins, protein powder, or energy powder, they may need to be placed in a separate bin for screening at the security checkpoint (if over 12 ounces) and may be opened for further inspection.

If you’re bringing an amount over 12 ounces, the TSA recommends placing it in your checked baggage instead. 

Carry On Liquid Vitamins

• Liquid multivitamins
• Liquid health supplements
• Spray vitamins
• Liquid gel vitamins

Liquid vitamins can be brought along in a carry on bag, but there are different rules for vitamins in a liquid form. All liquids need to be screened separately by the TSA, so you’ll have to follow their carry on liquid rules. 

What counts as a liquid vitamin? If it’s a free-flowing substance, the TSA considers it a liquid. So while soft gels like fish oil vitamins don’t count, liquid multivitamins, gel packs, spray vitamins, and liquid health supplements count as a liquid. 

Any vitamin supplement in liquid form must be 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or smaller and placed inside a clear, quart-sized bag that closes securely (like a Ziplock bag) along with any other liquids you’re traveling with in your carry on.

This is part of the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule that states you can only bring liquids in containers that hold no more than 3.4 ounces of liquid, cream, gel, aerosol, or paste. 

In addition, those liquids all have to fit inside 1 quart-sized bag and you’re only allowed a single bag of liquids in your carry on. 

When you arrive at the security checkpoint, you’ll remove your quart-sized bag containing all your liquids in their separate 3.4-ounce containers from your carry on and place it on the conveyor belt for screening. 

It might sound over the top, but the TSA has found knives and weapons concealed in vitamin containers that were brought along in carry on bags in the past. The additional screening helps keep passengers safe. 

How to Fly With Vitamins in Checked Baggage

If you won’t need your vitamins until you’ve landed and arrived at your hotel or residence, you might prefer placing them in your checked baggage. The rules are more relaxed when flying with vitamins in your checked bag.

Still, some extra restrictions are in place for carrying liquid vitamins in your checked bag compared to solid vitamins. Take a look below to learn how to fly with vitamins in all forms in checked baggage. 

Checked Solid Vitamins 

• Tablets, pills, and capsules
• Soft gels and gummies
• Chewable vitamins
• Vitamin, protein, or energy powders

Solid vitamins in tablet, pill, capsule, soft gel, gummy, chewable, or powder form can be packed in your checked baggage in any way you’d like – the original package, in a separate bag, or a pill organizer. 

The only real limitation to bringing solid vitamins in your checked baggage is the total amount. In general, it should be no more than a 90-day supply to ensure the TSA considers it a reasonable amount for personal use. 

It’s a good idea, but not required, to leave powdered vitamins, protein powder, or energy powder in their original packaging for easy identification by the TSA during screening. 

Checked Liquid Vitamins

• Liquid multivitamins
• Liquid health supplements
• Spray vitamins
• Liquid gel vitamins

You can bring liquid vitamins in your checked baggage with fewer limitations than bringing them in your carry on bag. But there are still TSA limits in place to know about!

You can’t bring more than 70 total ounces or 68 fluid ounces of liquids, creams, gels, pastes, or aerosols in your checked bags. Each individual liquid container can’t be larger than 18 ounces or 17 fluid ounces. 

That’s the total amount of liquid you’re allowed to bring and also includes any toiletries or other medicinal liquids you’re carrying with you. 

That’s usually plenty of capacity if you’re concerned about being able to bring your liquid vitamins in your checked baggage. Most liquid multivitamins and spray vitamins come in containers around 8 fluid ounces or less. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a few questions beyond how to fly with vitamins? Take a look at the FAQs below to learn more and find answers to your questions about traveling with supplements!

Travel Smoother When You Know How to Fly With Vitamins

It’s good to know that you can freely travel with vitamins in your carry on or checked baggage. The only real rules and limits apply to liquid vitamins, powdered vitamins and supplements, and total amounts. 

If you’re bringing liquid vitamins, make sure they’re all in containers no larger than 3.4 ounces and can all fit into a single, quart-sized plastic or clear bag. To check them, keep the containers under 18 ounces each with no more than 70 ounces in total. 

If you’re bringing powdered vitamins or supplements, pack amounts over 12 ounces in your checked baggage and label it clearly. In terms of total amounts of vitamins, only bring as much as you need for your trip. 

When you know how to fly with vitamins, you’ll ensure smoother, more seamless travel without interruptions in your supplement regimen.