Can I refuse a body scan?

Any person passing through a TSA checkpoint is legally allowed to opt out of the body scanner for any given reason. However, the TSA is still responsible for ensuring the safety of commercial flights, which requires screening for all commercial passengers.



Yes, you have the legal right to refuse a full-body scan (Advanced Imaging Technology) at TSA checkpoints in the United States and at most airports in the UK and EU. However, exercising this right comes with a mandatory alternative: a thorough physical pat-down by a security officer of the same gender. If you opt out of the scan, you cannot simply walk through the old-fashioned metal detector instead; the pat-down is a non-negotiable requirement to clear security. In 2026, the TSA "pat-down" includes the inspection of sensitive areas to ensure no non-metallic threats are concealed. If you are a member of TSA PreCheck, you are typically directed to a standard metal detector and do not have to use the body scanner at all, which is one of the primary reasons travelers pay for the membership. It is important to note that refusing both the scan and the pat-down will result in you being denied entry to the "sterile area" of the airport, and you will not be allowed to board your flight.

People Also Ask

Not everyone will be chosen to undergo a full body scan at airports. The selection process is random but passengers who are chosen for a full body scan and refuse to comply will not be permitted to fly.

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All our machines receive a variety of tests to ensure they are safe. They DO NOT use X-rays to produce an image. Still not comfortable? You can always opt out and request a pat-down.

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The backscatter x-ray scanners expose individuals to 0.03–0.1 µSv per scan 7–10 or the equivalent to 3–9 minutes of radiation received from naturally occurring sources as part of daily living. Thus, the exposure from the scans is relatively small.

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Airport body scanners alert the TSO to threats—mainly weapons such as knives, guns and explosives. They are designed to detect “metallic and nonmetallic threat items,” according to the TSA. Those are things like explosives or knives made out of materials other than metal, like ceramics, says Malvini Redden.

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So, why do I opt out? Good question. The fully body scanners emit radiation. There hasn't been proper testing to show what sort of harm/damage this amount of radiation might do to a person.

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Full-size machines Scanners built using this technology are able to catch metal and non-metal weapons alike on a person's body; however, they do not detect the chemical signature of explosives. The cost of millimeter wave scanners ranges between $150,000 and $200,000 per unit. X-ray imaging uses (you guessed it!)

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Traveling with your Silicone Breast Form Newer airport security body scanners detect all objects between the scanner and the skin, and while they are able to recognize clothing, they are unable to identify silicone breast forms. If you are wearing a prosthesis it could therefore trigger an alarm.

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Airport body scanners that use millimeter-wave technology, like those in the US and Canada, do not reveal what's inside a person's body. Unlike x-ray technology, millimeter-wave technology only checks the contour of the body; therefore, it cannot detect health issues such as tumors or inflammation.

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When a body scanner repeatedly highlights a specific area, such as the crotch, it may be due to a variety of factors, including: Clothing and Fabric: Certain types of clothing, fabrics, or folds in clothing can create the appearance of an anomaly in the crotch area on the scanner's image.

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As shown in more detail below, this additional screening could be caused by things like: Your name matching a name of interest in a database. You raising suspicions while going through airport security. Your bag getting flagged when going through an x-ray machine.

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Airport body searches, or “pat downs” involve being physically pat down by a security officer to confirm that you aren't carrying prohibited items under your clothing. Airport pat downs happen for two reasons: by random chance or because something about your clothing, appearance, or luggage seems suspicious.

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