How do you take a car seat through airport security?

Strollers, umbrella-strollers, baby carriers, car and booster seats and backpacks must be screened by X-ray. Place items in the stroller pockets or baskets, in a carry-on bag or on the X-ray belt for screening.



Taking a car seat through airport security is a common task, but it requires knowing whether you are "checking" it or "gate-checking" it. If you are taking it to the gate, the car seat must go through the X-ray machine. Most standard-sized car seats fit through the tunnel, but if yours is oversized, a TSA agent will perform a manual "wipe-down" inspection for explosives. If you find the seat too heavy to carry, many parents use a "car seat cart" or specialized backpack straps to move it through the terminal. It is important to know that car seats (and strollers) do not count toward your baggage limit on almost all airlines and are generally free to check. If you are checking the seat at the main counter, it is highly recommended to place it in a padded "car seat travel bag" to protect it from grease and physical damage. At the security checkpoint, you should remove any detachable accessories like cup holders or toys before placing it on the belt. In 2026, most airports have dedicated "family lanes" at security where the staff is more accustomed to helping with large items like car seats and strollers.

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Gate Checked Items Are Rarely Lost! An airline losing your car seat would surely start your vacation off on the wrong foot. Sometimes airlines have car seats available for passengers in instances they lose yours. However, it's not a guarantee and you never know the condition of the one they provide.

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Gate checking can help protect your stroller when flying. But there are other benefits to pushing your stroller through the airport. It makes navigating to your gate easier if your little one is secure. Just make sure to let them burn off some energy before boarding if you want your toddler to sleep on the plane.

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You can check one car seat and one stroller or folding wagon per child you're traveling with, for free. This can be done at the gate or ticket counter. Large or non-collapsible strollers, and non-folding wagons must be checked at the ticket counter.

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Standard strollers, folding wagons, and car seats can be used to get to your gate and then checked for free. They'll be returned to you on arrival. Collapsible strollers can be stored in-cabin. Car seats can be used onboard your flight too.

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If your seat has been approved for aircraft use, there will be a sticker (either on the back, bottom or side of the seat, depending on the size of the label) that says This restraint has been certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft in red lettering.

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A flight attendant can help you, for example, haul a car seat from the gate into the plane itself. He or she may also be able to assist you in locating the best seat or row for you and your family, provided that seating hasn't already been assigned.

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Strollers can be checked at the gate or with your regular checked baggage at the ticket counter. A stroller may be brought onboard without counting toward your carry-on limit. This is based on space availability; space guaranteed only with the purchase of a ticket for the infant).

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You can check one car seat and one stroller or folding wagon per child you're traveling with, for free. This can be done at the gate or ticket counter. Large or non-collapsible strollers, and non-folding wagons must be checked at the ticket counter.

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First, choose the bulkhead, the window, and near the toilets. These seats are the most convenient spots for families when flying. Second, if you have an infant, get a bulkhead seat, and request a bassinet, a crib that attaches to the cabin's front wall.

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However, statistically speaking, a seat close to an exit in the front or rear, or a middle seat in the back third of the plane offers the lowest fatality rate. That said, flying is still the safest form of transport.

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Moreover, while pilots and crew might also wear shoulder straps, passengers usually get only a lap belt. Unlike with a car, where the biggest risk lies in the back-and-forth motion, the risk on a plane is the up-down. Lap belts work to keep you on your seat in turbulence.

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Although children who have not reached their second birthday are permitted to travel as lap children, the FAA strongly discourages this practice and recommends that you secure your child in an approved CRS in their own seat for the entire flight.

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Most U.S. airlines will permit children who have reached their fifth birthday to travel unaccompanied. Kids ages 5 through 11 who are flying alone must usually travel pursuant to special “unaccompanied minor” procedures. On some airlines, these procedures are required for unaccompanied children as old as 14.

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A change of clothes is a no-brainer for the baby who may have a diaper situation at some point during the flight, says Shallcross, but if you can manage it, pack a T-shirt or leggings for yourself in your carry-on. You don't want to be stuck wearing a formula-stained shirt (or worse) for the rest of the flight.

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Do babies need an I.D.? Babies from the U.S. don't need an ID when flying domestically, says the TSA. This is actually true of anyone under the age of 18. But they will need a passport to fly internationally.

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