Can you bring back NY pizza or beach sand on Myrtle Beach flights?
Coming back to Myrtle Beach from a recent trip to West Virginia, I knew I wanted to bring back a taste of home by ordering a pizza from my favorite restaurant.
But I wasn’t sure if I would be able to fly with an entire pie. Turns out I could, and after a scan by the Transportation Security Administration, my three pizzas and I boarded my flight back to Myrtle Beach.
It turns out I’m not the only one who wants to bring back items they can’t get elsewhere.
With so many transplants who have moved from such places as New York, New Jersey and Florida, TSA agents have seen travelers bring items to and from the South Carolina coastal city that they may not be able to get locally.
While many foods and items are allowed as carry-ons, there are still some things that don’t make the list.
For those New Yorkers now living along the Grand Strand wanting a “real” bagel, the good news is that it’s a solid, and “it can fly all day long,” TSA spokesperson Carter Langston said.
But that schmear of cream cheese? Only if it’s 3.4 ounces or less.
Pizza is iffy. While I was able to bring my pizzas as a carry-on through the West Virginia airport, it could be considered a liquid or spread because of the sauce and cheese, Langston said. To play it safe, Langston suggests freezing the pizza because if it’s a frozen item, it’s considered a solid.
“As a general rule, if you can spill it, spread it, pour it or pump it,” that carry-on item is bound by the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule, Langston said.
Boiled peanuts are a different story because they are in a shell, Langston said. Which is good for Langston, a former Rock Hill resident, who brings back the Lowcountry favorite “every time I go” to South Carolina.
Here are some of the more popular items that travelers have brought as carry-on items at the Myrtle Beach International Airport, according to Langston.
Fireworks
In South Carolina, it is legal to buy, sell and store fireworks year round. Because of that, and the fact that fireworks can be found pretty cheap in the state, visitors “come in and stock up,” Langston said.
But fireworks are not legal in other states, and they are never permitted on aircrafts, Langston said.
Toy swords
Myrtle Beach has several dinner shows. One of them is the popular Pirate’s Voyage, where children can get souvenirs of their swashbuckling adventures such as plastic toy swords.
Because TSA sees so many children come through the Myrtle Beach airport with the plastic swords, “they have been determined not a threat item,” Langston said, and are allowed.
However, while they may be allowed in Myrtle Beach, at any other aiport, “they are deemed replicas or toys which are not permitted,” Langston said.
“We see so many of them in Myrtle Beach, there’s a special dispensation for them,” Langston said.
Sand and seashells
One of the cheapest and abundant souvenirs for those on a beach vacation is seashells and the sand they sit upon.
However, it is illegal to take sand from Horry County beaches, and it’s also illegal to bring it on an airplane.
But that doesn’t stop people from trying to slip it by TSA agents, Langston said.
Sand falls under agriculture, which is usually more restricted because of the possibility of being infested with insects, Langston. “It’s just not permitted,” he said.
But what about those seashells? It’s perfectly fine to bring those beach treasures aboard.
If someone does have a prohibited item, they have some options, Langston said. They can leave an item with a non-traveling family member or friend, take it back to their vehicle or they can go back to the ticketing counter and put it in their checked baggage. Or, they voluntarily surrender it, he said.
Passengers with questions of what they can or cannot bring when they fly, can go to TSA.gov or download the TSA app.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
