Medication is usually screened by X-ray; however, if a passenger does not want a medication X-rayed, he or she may ask for a visual inspection instead. This request must be made before any items are sent through the X-ray tunnel.

While the TSA does not typically search for your medications specifically, your pills will be screened alongside your other belongings during the standard X-ray process. TSA regulations in 2026 are quite lenient regarding solid medications; you are not required to keep them in their original prescription bottles for domestic travel, and you do not need to declare them to an officer unless they are in liquid form. However, if the X-ray reveals a large, anomalous mass of pills, an officer may perform a manual bag check to ensure no prohibited items are hidden. For international travel, the advice changes: it is strongly recommended to keep all pills in their original pharmacy packaging with a matching prescription to avoid complications with foreign customs authorities, who often have much stricter controlled-substance laws than the United States.