10 Things That Will Get You Turned Away When You Visit The White House

Home to the POTUS since President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, first took up residence there in 1800, the White House is one of the United States' most iconic symbols. With a rich history dating back to its rebuilding after the British set fire to the original White House during the War of 1812, the current incarnation of the presidential residence has stood tall for more than 200 years. Every addition and architectural change represents a piece of U.S. history, a story visitors can experience on a self-guided White House tour in one of the best activities for adults on a Washington, D.C. vacation.

The White House is also a government building and the president's workspace, which means that, just like a trip through the TSA checkpoint at the airport, visitors should expect tight security with a fairly long list of prohibited items. There are no storage facilities, and you can't simply dispose of your items as you do at the airport. Visitors who arrive with prohibited items can expect to get turned away at the gate.

And, while there's a list of prohibited items on the Secret Service website, it's not comprehensive. If the Secret Service determines that something could represent a potential safety risk, it won't matter if it's not on their official list — they reserve the right to bar your entry. We've covered some of the items that could keep you from entering the White House below, but it's also a good idea to check the official list right before you go since the banned items list can change with little notice. But no matter when you're visiting the White House, be sure to leave these banned items in your hotel room so you don't get turned away.

Washington, D.C.'s incredible neighborhoods are home to Michelin-star meals and excellent street food alike. But don't plan on shimmying up to the White House security line with a snack in one hand and a venti mochaccino in the other because they are not coming with you into the building. There's a perma-ban on drinks and snacks in the White House across the board.

And it's not just the food and drinks you can't bring. Empty food containers are also a no-go. If you're planning a picnic on the National Mall before you visit the White House, you'll need to pack it in a disposable paper bag since coolers aren't allowed through security. While security will let you finish your drinks and snacks while you're waiting in line, even reusable water bottles and hydroflasks are disallowed once you're inside the gate.

If you expect you'll be thirsty, it's a good idea to grab a drink before your tour since there are no public water fountains in the White House. On the other hand, there are also no public restrooms, so you'll want to be careful about how much hydration you consume before embarking on the self-guided tour. Fortunately, the entire tour runs about 45 minutes (shorter if you hurry), so you won't have to hold it long if you do find yourself needing a bathroom. And you can always head a couple of miles down the road to the Capitol after the tour to enjoy the cafe and historic decorative water fountains you'll find there.

If you're concerned about how your hair is holding up on a long day of traipsing around Washington, D.C., you might want to grab one of those cute little travel-sized hairspray bottles to take along for the ride. But if you're planning to tour the White House, you're better off leaving those pocket-sized hair products back at the hotel room in lieu of a more natural look, because security is not letting you in with those mini bottles in tow.

That's because aerosols — and, more broadly, liquids of any kind — are not allowed in the White House. Much like TSA's frustrating airport liquids rule, that includes everything from your purse-sized Chanel No. 5 to your favorite Bath and Body Works lotions. And it should go without saying that your pepper spray or mace is also on the no-go list for your White House tour.

Although the current official White House website is fairly vague about prohibited toiletry and hygiene items, past listings have also explicitly outlined other personal products as banned. For example, the George W. Bush White House tour banned list included "personal grooming items (make-up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.)" on the official website. Since there's a good chance just about anything could get barred when you're visiting, it's best just to play it safe and travel lightly. 

In a world where ladies' pockets are too often decorative and dresses made with them are more priceless than gold, a day without a purse can feel almost distressing. But if you're planning to visit the White House, you'll just have to roll with a lip balm in your pocket for the day because purses are another casualty of the historic building's no-fly list. And since they're basically just purses for your hip, fanny packs are also on the banned list.

If you're traveling with a baby, this ban can be especially frustrating since it also encompasses diaper bags. As one Reddit user clarified, "When it says no bags they don't have exceptions."

Obviously, if you've got a little one in tow, diaper accidents can happen. But in a place where you're already facing a dearth of public restrooms, you're not likely to be changing your little one inside those hallowed halls anyway. In case the inevitable does occur, former White House visitors on Reddit suggest sticking a handful of wipes in a Ziploc baggie and bringing in a couple of loose diapers with you. 

If you carry around a vape pen, you'll want to switch it out for a nicotine patch or some gum while you're visiting the White House for a tour. Reports from past White House tourists seem to suggest that you might slide through with your vape pen, but there are plenty of folks who say theirs weren't allowed. Officially, all vape pens, lighters, and tobacco products are on the White House banned list. The website also calls out "E-cigarettes and smoking paraphernalia of any kind."

If you're not planning to spend the day hopping around D.C. and you can't reasonably imagine spending the day without your vape pen, some tourists suggest using disposables. Writing on Facebook, one D.C. tourist reported, "We haven't had any problems going in any buildings with disposable vapes, with the exception of the White House."

Remember, though, that the White House will turn you away if you try to enter with prohibited items. While there's a chance that you might be able to sneak through with your disposable vape pen, you're safer using it around D.C. before your White House trip, ditching it before you approach the building, and picking up a new one after your tour.

On a long trip around Washington, D.C. — hardly the most kid-friendly town — most folks can understand why you might want to let the littles chill out with their favorite cartoons. But you absolutely won't be able to bring along a tablet of any kind into the White House with you since all tablets or laptops are disallowed.

Since the self-guided White House tour is a relatively short one, it could be a great excuse for a family screen break. But realistically, travel can be tough on littles, and the last place anyone wants to deal with a meltdown is in the hallowed halls of the White House.

The good news is that most mobile phones are allowed in the building as long as you keep them silenced for the duration of the tour. If the short tour might still prove a bit much for your tired toddler after a long day of history buff adventures around the United States' "Free Museum Capital," just bring along your kiddos' headphones and an old phone. Set up a hotspot, and you're good to stream all the "Bluey" their little hearts' desire.

While it might seem like a funny thing to make the White House banned list, these colorful party favors were once a favorite form of D.C. contraband. Back in the 1930s, police officers would literally chase illegal balloon vendors — dubbed "balloon bootleggers" by The Washington Post in 1936 (via Ghosts of DC) — off the streets.

There probably aren't a ton of tourists showing up at the White House with balloons in tow. But if you do happen to pick up a balloon or two for your kiddos from a D.C. street vendor while you're adventuring on your Capitol City vacation, they won't be allowed through the front gate as one of the more whimsical items on the official Secret Service list of prohibited items. Sadly for any clowns eager to stop by the historic building, these festive globes were officially banned from the White House under the first Trump administration in 2017.

If you flew into Washington, D.C. without checking a bag, there's a fair chance you left your favorite pocket knife or multitool at home since these essential pieces of camping gear are on the TSA list of prohibited items. But if you drove to D.C. or you checked your multitool in your luggage, you'll need to leave it back at the hotel since, for reasons that should be obvious, these pointy objects are on the White House banned list. 

Technically, multitools and pocket knives are banned across more than one category of prohibited items as they fall under "weapons/devices," "knives of any kind," and "any pointed object." Also banned on the Secret Service website is the Flipper Zero, a type of special security multitool capable of scanning radio and wireless signals, opening doors or gates, copying security and keycards, and breaking through a whole host of security protocols. It's not hard to see why these made the banned list. 

Second Amendment supporters visiting the White House may be disappointed to learn that they can't conceal carry on White House grounds — or in any U.S. federal building, for that matter. The White House list of prohibited items explicitly forbids both guns and electric stun guns, with the Secret Service website explicitly calling out "weapons of any kind." Even toy guns are on the White House banned list.

District of Columbia law expressly forbids handguns within "the White House Complex and its grounds up to and including to the curb of the adjacent sidewalks touching the roadways of the area bounded by Constitution Avenue, N.W." in addition to a long list of other buildings within the city. That includes public memorials, the U.S. Capitol Building, and other federal grounds.

If you do get caught hanging around near the White House with your handgun in tow, expect to be detained by the Secret Service, who take this stuff very seriously. While you're standing in line to pass through the metal detector, you may even see signs posted outside the White House warning that possession of weapons could result in fines or imprisonment. For best results, keep yours locked away safely in your hotel room safe or travel gun safe while you're out and about in D.C. 

For decades, White House visitors couldn't take any pics in the building. Fortunately for the perennially online selfie lovers among us, that ban was lifted in 2015. But that doesn't mean you can bring your whole camera setup with you — in fact, the list of prohibited camera-related items is somewhat comprehensive.

According to the official White House banned list, you still can't take professional cameras with detachable lenses. Any kind of mounted camera is off-limits as well. And although it's not explicitly outlined on the White House website, selfie sticks are listed on the Secret Service list of prohibited items for the White House, so you'll have to take them the old-fashioned way.

Along those same lines, both monopods and tripods are disallowed from the White House tour. Also banned are Polaroid cameras. If you want to grab some White House pics, you'll need to either use your phone camera or an old-fashioned 110 or 35 mm camera like the cool kids used back in the day.

If you're traveling with a baby or toddler, you and your aching back may be disappointed to learn that your stroller is not allowed in the White House. While strollers are generally permitted in most other locations around Washington, D.C., they are strictly prohibited on the White House tour.

Planning to hop in an Uber so you don't have to walk as far sans stroller won't help you, either, since you'll be stuck with a car seat you can't take into the White House. But what you could do is park fairly close and use a baby carrier. Writing in a Facebook group devoted to Washington, D.C. tourist tips, one poster advised packing the stroller in your car and parking someplace close within walking distance. "Remember that the entrance for Capitol tours is on the north side so get dropped there or you'll have to walk all the way around the building," another past tourist shared in the same group.