TSA Wants Travelers To Know About This Underrated Service Most Flyers Never Use

Many travelers have a shared disdain for TSA security checks. You have to remove items from your bag, place them in separate trays, hurry through the body scanner, and reach your items before someone else swipes them. Then you have to shove everything back into your bag and rush to your gate. In the confusion, it's easy to leave things behind. Maybe you packed everything out of the first tray but forgot you had a second one. Maybe something small slipped through, and you didn't notice. But if you ever leave something behind, the TSA has you covered. According to a social media post by the TSA, the organization wants travelers to know that they can use the Lost and Found portal to recover items lost during security checks.

Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the TSA, says it's easy to recover lost items if you're still at your gate (via AFAR). You just need to walk back to the security area and speak to a supervisor, who will help reunite you with your lost items. The problem begins when you realize you've lost items much later. Although physically walking over to the security checkpoint isn't possible in these cases, travelers can use TSA's Lost and Found page to look up the contact details of the airport where they lost their stuff. Once they've filled in the details of their lost items, the TSA agents at the relevant airport will help locate and return them. "This is one of those customer services that we offer that most travelers probably are unaware of," said Farbstein.

Even though TSA offers to help customers recover lost luggage, few items are ever claimed because people assume they'll have to manually search the airport. According to Unclaimed Baggage, America's only lost luggage retailer, more than 2 million lost items were delivered to its Alabama store in 2024, with an average of 7,000 pieces arriving each day. But if you know about the TSA's Lost and Found service, your items should never wind up on its shelves.

If you've ever frantically searched for your earphones or iPad, only to realize that you've left them behind at the security checkpoint, don't panic. Instead, go to the TSA Lost and Found portal and type in the name of the airport where you lost your stuff. You'll then be prompted to either call the displayed customer care number or fill out an online form describing the lost item(s).

Try to be as detailed as possible when describing your stuff. For example, if you've lost a laptop, mention the brand, model, color, and other details like stickers, covers, or skins. TSA will then use the description to locate the item in their Lost and Found. "If [we find it], we're pleased to make sure that the traveler can be reunited with their item," said Farbstein in her conversation with AFAR. Note: TSA can only help locate items lost during security checks or from checked luggage; for items lost anywhere else in the airport, you'll have to contact the airport's customer care.

TSA keeps lost items at the airport for a minimum of 30 days or until the owner recovers them, so you can either collect the missing item from the airport yourself or authorize someone (in writing) to collect it for you. In some cases, TSA may ship it to you at your own cost. TSA also allows travelers to use AirTags (with caveats), so you can slip one into your luggage and share the location with the TSA agents to help them find your items more quickly. If you regularly struggle to get through airport security without losing things, check out our list of hacks to zip through TSA so you never have to worry about lost items again.