Guitar
TSA allows guitars in both carry-on and checked bags, but whether one fits in the cabin depends on your airline's musical instrument policy.
Carry-on
Check with your airline
Checked
Allowed
Carry-on details
Check with your airline. TSA has no security objection to guitars in carry-on — the case gets a physical inspection at screening rather than a plain X-ray scan. The real limit is space: standard carry-on size rules don't apply to instruments, and by law airlines must let you carry one on if it fits safely in the overhead bin or under a seat and there's room when you board. But available room varies by flight, aircraft, and airline, so check your airline's specific musical instrument policy and consider boarding early.
Checked-bag details
Allowed. Guitars can be checked. By federal law, airlines must accept musical instruments in checked baggage as long as the case's combined length, width, and height don't exceed 150 inches and it weighs under 165 pounds. Use a hard-shell case, and expect an oversize or special-item handling fee on some airlines.
Special instructions
Tell the TSA officer before screening if your guitar needs special handling — cased instruments carried on are typically hand-inspected rather than run through the X-ray tunnel.
FAQ
- Does TSA prohibit guitars in carry-on?
- No. TSA doesn't treat guitars as a security risk — it will physically inspect the case instead of X-raying it. Whether it actually fits in the cabin is an airline capacity question, not a TSA rule.
- Will my airline definitely let me carry on my guitar?
- Not guaranteed. Airlines must allow instruments as carry-on if there's space when you board, but that space isn't guaranteed on every flight. Check your specific airline's musical instrument policy and consider boarding as early as possible.
Related items
Source: TSA — What Can I Bring? · Last verified: 2026-07-30
Final decision rests with the security officer at the checkpoint.