Can I Take Perfume on a Plane?

It's always a good idea to keep your perfume usage to a minimum while you're in the confined space of an airplane cabin. Your fellow passengers will thank you. But if you want to bring perfume or cologne in your carry-on bag, you'll have to follow the rules. Here's the scoop for taking perfume on a plane.

Perfume and cologne, like most toiletries, fall under the TSA's 3-1-1 rule, which means that these items are allowed in your checked luggage and carry-on bags. If you're planning to bring large bottles of perfume, you'll have to check them, because the TSA is very strict about the amount you can pack in your carry-on.

The 3-1-1 rule essentially states that all carry-on liquids, gels, creams and aerosols must be in containers not larger than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters). You can bring as many 3.4-ounce containers as will fit comfortably in a one-quart, clear plastic zip-close bag. Each passenger is limited to one such bag. Any liquid greater than 3.4 ounces that isn't medically necessary must go in your checked luggage.

You can pack perfume in an original container with a capacity of less than 3.4 ounces. Transferring it to your own smaller travel-size container is also acceptable if the original bottle is too big. To get the most out of your carry-on, pack liquid toiletries such as perfume in a bag separate from solid toiletries, like bars of soap and solid deodorants.

When it comes to perfume, the only way around the 3-1-1 rule is to purchase it at a duty-free shop located within the airport. Duty-free liquids greater than 3.4 ounces are allowed in your carry-on, or on your person, as long as they are packaged by the retailer in secure, tamper–evident bags. You must also have the receipt to show that you made the purchase within the last 48 hours.