Most wood, plastic, or non-lead lined ceramic urns can pass through the TSA's security screenings. Generally, most airlines will allow you to bring a cremation urn as a carry-on if it passes the security screenings. Out of respect for the deceased and family, airport security personnel will never open the cremation container. This is why choosing an urn that will pass through the X-ray screening is important.
TSA recommends that consumers purchase a temporary container made of wood, plastic, or non-lead lined ceramic for transporting their loved one's remains.
- Bob Kapp
Department of Homeland Security
Transportation Security Administration
Denver International Airport
From the TSA's page on Transporting the Deceased: (Page was removed, here is what they say now TSA on Cremated Remains)
We understand how painful losing a loved one is, and we respect anyone traveling with crematory remains. Passengers can carry a crematory container as part of their carry-on luggage, but the container must pass through the X-ray machine. If the container is made of a material that generates an opaque image and prevents the Transportation Security Officer from clearly seeing what is inside, then the container cannot be allowed through the security checkpoint.
Out of respect to the deceased and their family and friends, an officer will not open the container even if the passenger requests this be done. Documentation from the funeral home is insufficient to carry a crematory container through security and onto a plane without screening.
You may transport the urn as checked baggage if it is successfully screened. We will screen the urn for explosive materials/devices using various techniques; if cleared, it will be permitted as checked baggage only.
Some airlines do not allow cremated remains as checked baggage, so please check with your air carrier before attempting to transport a crematory container in checked baggage.
Crematory containers are made from many different types of materials, all with varying thickness. We cannot state for certain whether your crematory container can successfully pass through an X-ray machine. However, we suggest you purchase a temporary or permanent crematory container made of a lighter-weight material, such as wood or plastic, that can be successfully X-rayed. We will continue to work with funeral home associations to provide additional guidance in the future.
We've found that the best solution for air travel is our TSA-approved fabric cremation urns.