U.S. Air Travelers May Not Have to Remove iPads From Bags for Security Screening

In a bit of good news for iPad-toting air travelers in the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) yesterday clarified that travelers should not normally have to remove their iPads from carry-on baggage or cases when passing through security screening checkpoints at airports.

Addressing the topic of netbooks, e-readers, and tablets such as the iPad, "Blogger Bob" notes the following:

Electronic items smaller than the standard sized laptop should not need to be removed from your bag or their cases. It's that simple.

As is always the case, TSA personnel can request that any items be removed from bags or cases if they are unable to obtain a clear x-ray picture or have other reason to conduct a secondary screening, but in general users can keep their iPads in their carry-ons.

TSA policies require notebook computers and other similarly-sized electronics to be removed from cases and bags and be passed through x-ray machines on their own in order to allow screeners a clear view of the devices.