\u201cYou go to the TSA PreCheck line, and you will have access to the secure site, even though you are not flying. You can say goodbye or hello to loved ones who are taking off,\u201d Velez says. <\/p>\n
PreCheck lets low-risk travelers pre-register for a faster airport screening. It costs about $85 for a five-year registration, TSA said. <\/p>\n
Banned items confiscated at JIA<\/p>\n
The items displayed on the table next to the TSA security checkpoint at Jacksonville International Airport on Wednesday ranged from the lethally cute \u2014 pink Tasers and a Mace gas gun \u2014 to scary \u2014 a curved blade with spikes and a knife in a belt buckle.<\/p>\n
And that load of potential weapons found by TSA agents in Jacksonville\u2019s carry-on luggage this year did not include the guns that were detected and detained from incoming passengers, officials say.<\/p>\n
So as JIA and TSA prepare for what is predicted to be another busy winter travel season, passengers and visitors already crowding the airport got a reminder from the federal agency of what not to pack in their carry-on bags. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s basically a show and tell \u2014 we want to remind passengers of what you cannot bring in your carry-on bag,\u201d Velez says. \u201cAll these items that are on the table here today are items that people tried to go through security with in their carry-on bag. The majority of them, you can actually travel with them, but they have to be in your checked bag, not your carry-on bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260930_102049.webp\")
Other items found on passengers recently as they went through TSA security included a curved knife, left, a belt with a fold-out knife, center, and a serrated Bowie knife, top. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today<\/p>\n
The TSA regularly warns travelers to double-check what they pack in pockets or carry-on luggage. A belt with a fold-out knife, a toy hand grenade, even a toy pistol is a prohibited item that requires a detailed screening of all that person\u2019s carry-on. And that causes more delays as the passenger and TSA go through the options of getting rid of the item, like bringing it back to a car or mailing it home.<\/p>\n
Other items found look like common household tools. There was an axe and a rubber mallet, which Velez says could become a weapon on an airplane. A braided leather whip was displayed next to two fold-out switchblades, and a toy gun hiding a slide-out blade. A rusty Bowie knife with leather sheath was on display. There was even a set of knife blades mimicking those that Wolverine, the Marvel superhero, theatrically deploys from his knuckles.<\/p>\n
Many passengers have an excuse when these and other items are found, Velez says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the number one excuse we get: \u2018Oh, I forgot that was in my bag,’\u201d Velez says. \u201cWe are not here to put blame on anybody or put them under a microscope. The bottom line is if we detect it, it just can\u2019t go through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Passengers must also realize that guns cannot be carried inside a commercial flight<\/a>. They can be checked as luggage, but only if they are unloaded and packed in a locked, hard-sided case.<\/p>\n At the JIA\u2019s TSA gate, 69 guns were confiscated in 2025, and \u201cright about on that pace\u201d so far this year, Velez says.<\/p>\n Tips for travelers<\/p>\n Start packing with an empty carry-on bag, then carefully pack to make sure nothing is prohibited. <\/p>\n Any liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes<\/a> carried on board a plane must be 3.4 ounces or less. They have to go in one \u2014 and only one \u2014 quart-size sealable plastic bag.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260930_103054.webp\")
Passengers enter the TSA security area at Jacksonville International Airport on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today<\/p>\n