Wheelchair (Manual)
Manual wheelchairs are allowed and don't count against your carry-on or checked baggage allowance, with no battery rules to worry about.
Carry-on
Allowed
Checked
Allowed
Carry-on details
Allowed. A manual (non-motorized) wheelchair is a mobility aid and doesn't count against your carry-on or personal item limit — it travels in addition to your normal bags. TSA screens the wheelchair itself, including seat cushions and any attached pouches. If standing for screening is difficult, you can request to be screened while seated in it.
Checked-bag details
Allowed. Manual wheelchairs are typically gate-checked and returned to you at the jet bridge on arrival, the same as a stroller or car seat. With no battery, there's none of the battery-chemistry paperwork that applies to an electric wheelchair.
Special instructions
This entry covers manual, non-motorized wheelchairs specifically. An electric or power wheelchair has its own battery-chemistry rules — see the mobility scooter / electric wheelchair entry for that.
FAQ
- Does my wheelchair count as my carry-on bag?
- No — a wheelchair is a mobility aid and doesn't count against your carry-on or personal item allowance, the same as a CPAP machine or other assistive device.
- Can I stay in my wheelchair during screening?
- If standing is difficult, you can request to be screened while seated in your wheelchair rather than transferring out of it.
- Is a manual wheelchair simpler to fly with than an electric one?
- Yes — a manual wheelchair has no battery, so none of the watt-hour limits or battery-chemistry rules that apply to electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters come into play.
Related items
Source: TSA — What Can I Bring? · Last verified: 2026-08-02
Final decision rests with the security officer at the checkpoint.