🍾 Duty-Free Clearance Engine

Duty-Free Liquids & Transit Checker

Bought alcohol, perfume, or cosmetics over 100 ml (3.4 oz) at an airport duty-free shop? Check if your bottles will survive connecting security checkpoints or get confiscated.

1. How is your duty-free liquid packaged?

🛍️ Sealed in an official STEB (Secure Tamper-Evident Bag) Clear bag with red tamper-evident tape, ICAO logo, airport 3-letter code

🛍️ Standard retail carrier bag / unsealed shopping bag Normal plastic carrier bag, stapled or taped closed

2. When was the purchase made (receipt timestamp)?

3. What is the container material?

4. What is your flight itinerary?

The 3 Big Duty-Free Traps Every Traveler Faces

1. The International-to-Domestic Re-Screening Trap

When arriving in the US or Canada from abroad, all passengers must collect checked baggage, clear customs, and re-clear security screening before boarding connecting domestic flights. Crucial rule: If you have checked bags, transfer your duty-free liquor bottles into your checked suitcase BEFORE dropping it onto the transfer conveyor belt!

2. The Optical Bottle Liquid Scanner (BLS) Opaque Bottle Trap

TSA and airport checkpoints use Raman spectroscopy optical scanners to test liquids without opening the bottle. If your duty-free bottle is made of ceramic, stoneware, opaque metal, or dark frosted glass (such as Clase Azul Tequila), the laser cannot penetrate the container. Screeners are legally required to reject any oversized liquid that cannot be verified optically.

3. The Carry-On Only (OneBag) Vulnerability

If you are traveling without checked luggage, you have no backup repository. If an officer refuses the STEB seal or the bottle fails optical scanning, your only choices are surrendering the purchase or abandoning your flight to find an airline counter.