Transporting Milk You can carry freshly expressed milk in an insulated cooler bag with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours. After arriving at your destination, use the milk right away, store it in the refrigerator, or freeze it.

Bringing breast milk when traveling, particularly by air, is protected under TSA regulations as a "medically necessary liquid." In 2026, the law remains that you can carry a reasonable amount of breast milk in your carry-on luggage, even if your baby is not traveling with you. Unlike standard liquids, breast milk is exempt from the 3-1-1 rule, meaning it can be in containers larger than 3.4 ounces. When you reach the security checkpoint, you must declare the milk to the TSA officer and remove it from your bag for separate screening. You are also permitted to bring cooling accessories like ice packs, freezer packs, or frozen gel packs, regardless of whether they are solid or partially melted. It is highly recommended to use clear, leak-proof storage bags to speed up the inspection process. If you do not want your milk to be X-rayed, you can request an alternative screening method. For long-haul travel, many parents use high-quality insulated coolers with reusable ice packs, or "milk shipping" services like Milk Stork, which specialize in temperature-controlled transport of breast milk directly to your destination.