The last time I flew out of Denver, I kept my sneakers on, left my laptop zipped inside my backpack, and was past the checkpoint in under four minutes. A year before that, the same trip meant untying my shoes, digging out electronics, and shuffling through in my socks. Airport security in the US has shifted more in the past 18 months than it did in the decade before, and plenty of travelers are still packing and dressing for the old version. I fly at least twice a month, so I have watched these changes arrive one checkpoint at a time. A few save you real minutes. One of them can stop you at the podium before you ever reach the scanner. Here are the seven TSA rules I actually check before every domestic flight, what changed, and who each one matters for.
1. You can keep your shoes on
TSA dropped the shoe removal requirement on July 8, 2025, and it now covers standard screening nationwide. The old rule had been in place since 2006, after a single attempted attack involving an explosive hidden in a shoe. Newer scanning technology can see through footwear, so the agency decided the socks-on shuffle was no longer worth the slowdown.
One thing to remember: an officer can still ask you to take your shoes off if something needs a closer look. Wear something you can slip off quickly just in case. This change helps everyone, but especially families and anyone with limited mobility who used to dread that part of the line.
2. The liquids rule is the one that still trips people up
This is the change people assume already happened. It hasn’t. The 3-1-1 rule is still fully in force: containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all fitting inside one quart-size clear bag, one bag per passenger.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has hinted the liquids limit could be the next rule to move. Her words were, “The liquids, I’m questioning. So that may be the next big announcement.” There is no date and nothing has actually changed, so pack as if the limit stands, because it does. Medical liquids, baby formula, and breast milk are exempt and can go through in larger amounts if you declare them at the lane. This tip is for anyone who has watched a full-size sunscreen get pulled at the bin.
3. At the new scanners, your laptop stays in the bag
CT scanners, the bulky machines that build a rotating 3D image of your carry-on, are now in roughly 255 of the 432 commercial airports in the country. At those lanes you usually leave laptops, tablets, and your liquids bag tucked inside your carry-on. The officer can read the contents without you unpacking a thing.
The catch is that not every lane has one yet. The signage at the checkpoint tells you which rules apply, so read it instead of guessing and pulling your bag apart out of habit.
One thing to still take out
If you shoot film, pull undeveloped rolls out of your bag and ask for a hand inspection. The CT machines are stronger than the old X-ray units and can fog unprocessed film. Your digital camera, phone, and memory cards are all fine.
4. You need a REAL ID now, or something better
Since May 7, 2025, every adult flying within the US needs a REAL ID compliant license, the one with a star in the top corner, or another accepted document. If your license has no star, it will not get you through security on its own anymore.
The reassuring part: a lot of IDs already clear the bar. A US passport, a passport card, a Global Entry or other trusted traveler card, an active military ID, and a federally recognized tribal ID all work. If you already travel with a passport, you were ready for this before it ever took effect.
5. Your phone can be your ID at some airports
TSA now accepts digital IDs at more than 250 checkpoints, loaded from Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, or an official state app. It is live for residents of 16 states and territories so far, among them California, New York, Colorado, Georgia, Arizona, Maryland, and Hawaii.
Keep your physical ID on you anyway. TSA still describes the digital version as a convenience, acceptance varies from one checkpoint to the next, and a dead phone battery is a bad place to discover the limits of the program.
6. Forgot your ID? You can probably still fly
Losing your wallet the morning of a flight is not an automatic missed trip. TSA runs an identity verification process: you give your name and current address, answer a few questions to confirm who you are, and if it checks out you clear some extra screening and continue to your gate. Build in extra time, because it adds minutes you don’t want to be short on.
Worth knowing for the future: in November 2025, TSA published a proposed rule to charge an $18 fee for this identity check. It is only a proposal right now, not yet in effect, but it may cost you down the line.
7. PreCheck still helps, but the math changed
With shoes-on screening everywhere and CT lanes letting electronics stay packed, two of PreCheck’s old selling points now apply to every traveler. So is the membership still worth it? For me, yes. The PreCheck line is usually shorter, you keep your belt and a light jacket on, and you skip the guesswork about what to remove.
If you fly several times a year out of a big, busy airport, it still earns its keep. If you fly once or twice a year, the gap between PreCheck and the regular line has narrowed enough that you can probably skip it now.
A couple of quick questions I get a lot
Do I still take my shoes off in the PreCheck line?
No. Shoes stay on in both standard and PreCheck lanes now, though an officer can ask you to remove them in either one.
Does a regular passport work for domestic flights?
Yes. A valid US passport or passport card is accepted at every checkpoint, and neither one needs to be REAL ID compliant.
Before every trip I run a three-second check in my head: star on the license or passport in hand, liquids in the quart bag, film out if I packed any. Three quick looks, and the checkpoint stops being the part of the day I dread. If you have not flown since early 2025, the line moves differently now, and a little prep gets you through it faster than the person still untying their shoes in front of you.
Featured image: Photo by Scott Fillmer on Unsplash
