Luggage

Travel light. Smaller bags are easier to carry and stow and mean shorter waits at baggage claim and easier security/customs inspections.
Plan to pack more in your checked luggage and less in your carry-on bag.
Don't carry or pack anything for anyone else or agree to watch a stranger's bag.
Remove old claim checks to avoid confusion.
Identify luggage inside and outside with your name, business address and telephone number. Inside, include a copy of your itinerary.
Check your luggage early to ensure your bags make your originating and connecting flights.

Carry-On Bags

TSA recommends passengers be allowed one carry-on bag plus a personal item, such as a purse or briefcase, but exact limits are set individually by each airline.
Typically, the maximum size for a carry-on bag is 45 linear inches (height+width+depth).
Check with your travel agent or airline for information on carry-on luggage restrictions.
Pack prescription drugs (in original containers with a copy of the prescription), personal hygiene items, passports and important documents in your carry-on bag.
Pack valuable items, such as jewelry, cameras, cell phones, pagers and laptop computers, in your carry-on bag.
Do not wrap gifts to carry-on.
Consider packing small loose items in clear plastic zip-type bags.

How Much Time Needed

Call your airline to confirm flight before arriving at the airport.
Allow extra time for parking and shuttle transportation.

Unless you specifically are told otherwise, plan to check in at the airline ticket counter.
If you are traveling with an e-ticket and only a carry-on bag, ask your travel agent or airline if you can proceed straight to security. Standards vary, but typically, to do this, passengers with e-tickets will need a picture I.D. (driver's license/passport/government-issued I.D.), plus one of the following documents displaying a ticket number: copy of an e-ticket receipt; airline-generated itinerary confirming an e-ticket; or travel agency-generated itinerary and e-ticket confirmation. You may also need to show the credit card you used to purchase your e-ticket.
All adult passengers must have a picture I.D. (driver's license/passport/government-issued I.D.). When making reservations, use the exact name appearing on the I.D. you will present at the airport. If your name has changed and the name on your ticket and your I.D. differ, bring documentation of the change (e.g., a marriage certificate or court order).
Non-U.S. citizens boarding international flights are required by the TSA to show evidence of admission into the United States, such as a visa, I-94, parole letters or alien resident card.
For passengers traveling to and from Mexico without a passport, be aware that airlines are requesting that your ID be officially notarized. LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal has a notary public available daily from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. (PST).

Watch Your Bags!

In an effort to prevent an unattended bag from becoming a "suspicious bag" at the airport, please watch your bags at all times. Unattended bags will be confiscated.

Going to Your Gate

Have your boarding pass in hand and be prepared to show a valid photo ID at airline ticket counters, screening checkpoints, and at boarding gates.
Only ticketed passengers are allowed through security. Appropriate ticket documentation is required: a paper ticket, a boarding pass, or documentation of an e-ticket (check with your travel agent or airline). The TSA requires that all such documentation include ticket numbers.
Parents meeting unaccompanied minors and person accompanied by healthcare assistants or guardians should contact their airline in advance to make special arrangements.
Do not joke about bombs or firearms. Don't discuss terrorism, weapons or explosives.
Always cooperate fully with all airport security personnel, other airline or airport staff and law enforcement officers.

Security Screening

Please remove all metal objects such as keys, coins, pens and pencils from your pockets and clothing and place them in your carry-on bag.
For travelers carrying metal souvenirs, please place these objects in your checked luggage.
If you have a laptop computer or video camera, please remove it from its case.
Expect questioning about your luggage and hand-searches of carry-on items.

TSA 3-1-1 Tips
TSA websiteProvided by the Transportation Security Administration

We’d like to provide "3-1-1 information" to help you get through the security checkpoints smoothly and quickly.

TSA’s 3-1-1 program means:

LAX Liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers three ounces or less,
LAX Items must be put in a one quart, clear plastic zip-top bag, and
LAX Only one zip-top bag per passenger.

Additionally:

Do not wrap gifts. If a security officer needs to inspect a package they may have to unwrap your gift. Please wrap gifts after arriving at your destination.

Apply 3-1-1 to gifts. 3-1-1 isn’t just about shampoo and toothpaste. Food items such as jams, salsas, sauces, syrups and dips will not be allowed through the checkpoint unless they are in containers three ounces or less and in the passenger’s one quart zip-top bag. This applies to gift items including lotions, creams, scented oil, liquid soaps, perfumes, and even snow globes, that are in excess of three ounces -- even if they are in sealed gift packs. We suggest you ship these items prior to your trip or put them in your checked baggage.

Any of these items WILL be allowed on the plane IF you purchase them after the security checkpoint. TSA allows liquid items purchased after the checkpoint onto planes because these items have been previously screened.

Know what items are prohibited on planes. A gift you plan to bring in your carry-on bag might be on TSA’s Prohibited Item list. These items delay the screening process for you and other passengers. If you’re not sure which items are allowed, click here to see the list of prohibited items.

Arrive on time. Check with your carrier for suggested arrival times. You must have a boarding pass and valid government photo ID to enter the security checkpoint. Give yourself adequate time to check your baggage and move through security.

Dress the part. Metal in your clothing may set off the walk-through metal detector. Pack coins, keys, jewelry, belt buckles and other metal items in your carry-on bag. Shoes must be removed and screened by TSA, so wear shoes you can easily take on and off to speed the process. Winter coats, blazers, suit jackets and bulky sweaters also must be removed and put in the bin for screening. Learn more about the screening experience, dressing the part, and what to expect.

Be considerate and save jokes for after the checkpoint (or don't make them at all!). Our security officers are working to keep bombs off of airplanes. Please follow their directions. Belligerent behavior, inappropriate jokes and threats will not be tolerated, and will result in delays and possibly missed flights.

Telephones can be found in terminal lobbies, concourses and baggage claim areas. Courtesy phones are available in baggage claim areas offering direct connect service to local car companies and hotels.

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport provides travelers and guests free internet access through the airport's wireless system. This service is provided in all terminal and concourse areas. Patrons can utilize a properly configured laptop, personal digital assistant or other device that is wireless compatible and able to connect to the Web. The airport suggests using a computer running one of the newer versions of Windows or MAC operating systems and newer versions of Palm Handhelds, Pocket PCs or other portable devices.

All terminals have facilities for disabled travellers. These include disabled toilets, courtesy telephones with TTY facilities, ramps and lifts. Disabled parking is available in all parking facilities, with wheelchair-accessible shuttles from the remote car parks.

For additional information on Airport services for disabled travelers, please call the Broward County Aviation Department at 954-359-1030 or lmerrill@broward.org. Contact your airline for specific flight information and for wheelchair service.

There is no Post Office on the Airport Site: The closest Post Office:

SOUTHSIDE STATION, 2801 S FEDERAL HWY
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33316-9998

Business Hours
Mon-Fri
9:00am-7:00pm
Sat
8:30am-2:00pm
Sun
closed
Last Daily Collection
Mon-Fri
6:00pm
Sat
4:00pm
Sun
closed

Take exit 12A and proceed south on US-1. Turn right at Griffin Road and turn right at the traffic signal just beyond the rail road tracks. Merge right on to Perimeter Road. The Cell Phone Waiting area will be on your left, 1 mile straight ahead.

From US-1 Southbound

Turn right at Griffin Road and then turn right at the traffic signal just beyond the rail road tracks. Merge right on to Perimeter Road. The Cell Phone Waiting area will be on your left, 1 mile straight ahead.

From US-1 Northbound

Turn left at Griffin Road and then turn right at the traffic signal just beyond the rail road tracks. Merge right on to Perimeter Road. The Cell Phone Waiting area will be on your left, 1 mile straight ahead.

From I-95 and Griffin Road Eastbound

Take Griffin Road east. Turn left at the traffic signal just before the rail road tracks at US-1. Merge right on to Perimeter Road. The Cell Phone Waiting area will be on your left, 1 mile straight ahead.

Quick facts for foreign visitors about driving in the United States

1. An International Driving Permit (IDP) translates information contained on your driver's license into 10 languages so that officials in foreign countries are able to interpret your license. An IDP supplements a valid government-issued license--it does not serve as a replacement for a license. If you are stopped by law enforcement, you will most likely be asked to produce both your IDP and your official driver's license. The United States does NOT issue International Driving Permits to foreign visitors, so you will need to obtain this document before traveling to the U.S.

2. If you are going to reside in the U.S., you can get a U.S. driver's license once you are in the U.S., but it may take several months to obtain a U.S. driver's license.

3. Foreign visitors who become U.S. residents can only obtain a driver's license from the state in which they reside (not from the federal government). Each state has its own driving rules and regulations. Check with your state's motor vehicles department to find out how to apply.

4. Once you receive your U.S. driver's license from a state motor vehicles department, you will be permitted to drive in all other U.S. states. The laws in each state vary from one to another. It is your responsibility to know and obey the laws of that state while driving.

5. The residency requirement for obtaining a U.S. driver's license varies with each state. Consult the motor vehicles department in your state for more information.

6. If you are a foreign student coming to the U.S. to study, contact the university or college you will attend, as most institutions provide students with additional driving information.

7. The U.S. government has issued warnings about Internet vendors of worthless international driver's licenses/permits. It is important to educate yourself about the dangers of these costly and illegal operations. See International Driver's License Warning from Federal Trade Commission.