Taking cash on your trip could lead to big problems

There are many items that are not allowed on board a plane. This includes obvious things like weapons of any kind. It also includes less obvious items that we’re all used to being banned from, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense (think liquids and large tubes of toothpaste).

For most people, though, cash won’t be on the list of items that could cause problems at airport security. But surprisingly, money might actually be something you should keep at home when you next go on vacation.

A recent CBS news report made it clear and serious that there are serious problems with security at U.S. airports.

It comes in the form of a class-action lawsuit that includes plaintiffs such as Rebecca Brown. Rebecca Brown was a woman traveling at Pittsburgh International Airport when the TSA determined she was carrying money that was proceeds of crime.

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The cash was seized because the Fed believed the money was obtained illegally.

Brown and several others who have experienced similar issues are currently suing the government, arguing their constitutional rights were violated. The lawsuit alleges that the TSA wrongly seized funds it believed were illegally obtained.

As part of the class-action lawsuit, it was revealed that Brown took her father’s life savings to the airport after he asked her to take the money to Boston to open a savings account.

The total was about $82,000, and it took Brown about a year and a half to get the money back after it was determined to be clean.

“I do think what TSA did to me was unconstitutional,” Brown said.

While you might think you’re safe if you don’t carry so much money, that’s not the case.

“In some of the TSA’s testimony, they said $100 out of 100 one-dollar bills still counts as large currency,” Institute for Justice attorney Dan Alban, who represents the plaintiffs, told CBS News.

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While the government claimed it acted within its guidelines and asked that the case be dismissed, plaintiffs’ attorneys disputed that the TSA officers acted correctly.

“We do not believe there is a dispute that the TSA unlawfully and unconstitutionally intercepted and detained travelers carrying cash at airports, despite its admission that it did not pose a threat to transportation safety, as a material fact,” Orban said.

It remains to be seen how the class action lawsuit progresses in court, or whether the TSA will be found to have violated the rules.

The best course of action for passengers who want to avoid problems is to limit the amount of cash they carry with them when traveling. Of course, this is inconvenient, especially if you don’t like relying on a credit card or are going somewhere that requires cash for shopping.

If you’re traveling with a large amount of money, have at least some documentation showing the source of the money so you can be prepared to answer the TSA’s questions, no matter how inappropriate you think they are.

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This article was originally published by TheStreet on February 16, 2026, and first appeared in the Travel section. Click here to add TheStreet as your preferred source.