You can decline both tech options for a physical screening, which includes a Transportation Security Administration officer inspecting your body with their hands with a “sufficient pressure to ensure detection” of potential risks.

In 2026, it is important to clarify that TSA does not conduct "strip searches" as part of routine screening; they perform physical "pat-downs" if you trigger an alarm or are selected for enhanced screening. You can refuse a body scanner (AIT) in favor of a physical pat-down, but you cannot refuse screening entirely if you wish to fly. If a pat-down is required, you have the right to request it be performed by an officer of the same gender and the right to a private screening room with a witness present. If you refuse all forms of screening (scanner and pat-down), you will not be allowed past the checkpoint and may be escorted from the airport. For 2026, TSA has introduced more "Touchless ID" and advanced CT scanners that reduce the need for physical contact, but the legal requirement remains: to enter the secure area, you must submit to the established screening protocols, which are designed to detect prohibited items without requiring the removal of clothing.