Ahead of REAL ID deadline, TSA bans these common items from checked luggage

While you're making definite you person your REAL ID acceptable for the Wednesday deadline, amended cheque your luggage for portable chargers and powerfulness banks. As of March 1, 2025, these communal question items are nary longer allowed successful checked luggage.

You tin inactive bring them successful your carry-on bags, though.

The TSA announced the caller prohibition aft an exploding powerfulness slope was blamed for a occurrence that burst retired successful a Russian airplane successful South Korea successful January and forced evacuation of each 179 passengers and six crew, according to Reuters.

In November 2024, a Southwest formation from Denver was forced to evacuate aft a passenger's cellphone caught fire. Another Southwest folight heading to miami successful April 2024 was forced to onshore successful Palm Beach aft the unit noticed an overheated cellphone smoking.

Lithium-ion artillery fires, which are hard to extinguish, person besides made headlines astir the state from cellphones, burning Teslas and different electrical vehicles, andeven a artillery plant.

In 2024, erstwhile authorities Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (now a U.S. congressman) warned astir fires resulting from electrical vehicles getting flooded during hurricanes and tropical storms. One Charlotte County antheral died from fume inhalation aft a play cart lithium artillery exploded from tempest surge flooding during Hurricane Milton.

Cell telephone artillery fires connected planes becoming much frequent

The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News in November that the fig of lithium-ion artillery fires accrued by much than 42% successful the past 5 years. According to FAA data, determination has been an mean of astatine slightest 1 lithium artillery incidental connected a rider level successful the U.S. each week since 2021.

What are lithium-ion batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries that are commonly utilized successful compartment phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, watches and more. They tin besides airs a occurrence hazard and are taxable to overheating and creating sparks, particularly if damaged.

The FAA banned spare, uninstalled lithium-ion metallic batteries from checked-in luggage successful 2020. That prohibition present besides includes powerfulness banks and compartment telephone artillery charging cases. This includes:

• Power banks

• Cellphone artillery charging cases

• Rechargeable and non-rechargeable lithium batteries

• Cellphone batteries

• Laptop batteries

• External batteries

• Portable rechargers

To cheque which items are allowed oregon banned connected board, cheque the TSA's online hunt function.

"When a carry-on container is checked astatine the gross oregon astatine planeside, each spare lithium batteries and powerfulness banks indispensable beryllium removed from the container and kept with the rider successful the craft cabin," the FAA said successful its guidance sheet. "The artillery terminals indispensable beryllium protected from abbreviated circuit."

What is simply a REAL ID?

As of May 7, a REAL ID-compliant ID oregon different authorized recognition volition beryllium required to committee a commercialized formation successful the United States, oregon to participate galore national facilities, military facilities and atomic powerfulness plants.

The Real ID Act, passed successful 2005, established minimum information standards for getting a licence anyplace crossed the country and prohibited immoderate national agencies from accepting thing less, pursuing recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.

Florida REAL ID: What if you can't get 1 by May 7? Can you inactive fly? Here are options

What does a REAL ID look like? How tin I archer if I person it?

If you've received a caller oregon renewed Florida driver's licence oregon ID since January 2010, you already person one. You tin archer by looking for a golden ellipse with a achromatic prima successful the mediate astatine the precocious close of the card.

How bash I get a REAL ID successful Florida?

You'll request to marque an assignment astatine a section driver's licence work halfway oregon taxation collector bureau to get a caller card. Locations tin beryllium found here.

A Class E licence tin beryllium renewed up to 18 months anterior to the card’s expiration date.

If you don't person one, you indispensable look successful idiosyncratic to present recognition documents. After that, you tin renew online unless your sanction changes.

Contributing: Alex Perry and Michelle Ganassi, USA TODAY Network

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Fort Myers News-Press: Lithium artillery TSA prohibition includes telephone chargers, powerfulness packs