Yes — that’s the entire purpose of the TSA-recognized system. A genuinely recognized lock, marked with the official indicator, can be opened by security agencies using a shared master key or master combination system specific to that lock design, without needing to force or cut it.
This only works for locks that actually carry the recognized marking and are built to the specification that master tool matches. A combination lock that merely has the word “TSA” printed on it without the genuine marking and matching mechanism cannot be opened this way, and would be cut off instead if an inspection requires opening the bag.
After an inspection, a genuinely recognized lock is typically left in its locked state, sometimes with a note or card indicating the bag was searched — a working, intact lock rather than a bag left open or a lock replaced with a zip tie.
Check with your airline and read the label before you follow anything here. Lithium battery watt-hour limits, liquids allowances and lock policies differ by carrier and by country, and change over time — the figures published by the airline or security authority you are actually traveling with take precedence over anything written on this site. A power bank or spare battery is carried exactly as its manufacturer and your airline specify, never estimated. We report what is published — a watt-hour rating, a size limit, a lock's official recognition — and this site describes the equipment only: nothing here is a guarantee about what a specific checkpoint will allow on a specific day.
Last reviewed 26 August 2026