🔒 Padlock / combination lock

If TSA needs to physically inspect your bag and cannot open the lock with a master key, they will cut it off. You will not be compensated for the lock, and there is no prior warning — you simply collect your bag at the destination and find the lock missing. TSA-approved locks with a standardised master key slot prevent this by letting inspectors open and relock the bag without damage.

TSA-approved locks are a US-specific system — the master key program is run by TSA and only used at US airports. In other regions such as the EU, UK, Australia, and Canada, security agencies may cut any lock they need to bypass, TSA-approved or not. If your itinerary involves a connection through the US, a TSA-approved lock protects you on those legs specifically.

Padlocks are permitted in carry-on baggage. A heavy or large padlock may occasionally be questioned by a screener, but there is no rule against it — if in doubt, the TSA guidance is to pack it in checked baggage to avoid any discretionary hold-up. Smaller combination locks and lightweight travel locks pass through without any issue.

TSA-approved locks display the Travel Sentry or Safe Skies logo — a red diamond or a green clover — on the lock body. Any lock carrying one of these marks can be opened by TSA agents with a master key. Brand matters less than the logo: any lock with the Travel Sentry mark, regardless of manufacturer, gives you the same level of protection for checked baggage in the US.