What are your rights when flying with a wheelchair or mobility device?
The short answer
DOT says airlines must promptly provide wheelchair or guided assistance when a passenger with a disability asks for it at the airport. Airlines must accept battery-powered wheelchairs and may not charge for required accommodations. TSA screens wheelchairs and scooters at the checkpoint.
Help at the airport and on board
DOT says you must tell airline staff at the airport that you are a person with a disability needing help. Airlines must assist from the terminal entrance or drop-off to your seat, between connecting flights, and from your seat to baggage claim or pick-up. They must not leave a passenger who is not independently mobile unattended for more than 30 minutes unless the passenger says it is fine.
You may board before other passengers if you say you need extra time or help. You may stay in your own wheelchair until the gate. It is then taken and returned at your destination gate.
Your wheelchair and the aircraft
- Airlines must accept battery-powered wheelchairs, including batteries, and provide hazardous materials packaging for the batteries at no charge.
- Assistive devices do not count against carry-on limits.
- Folding wheelchairs have priority for in-cabin storage if you preboard.
- If you use a battery-powered wheelchair, DOT says to arrive 1 hour before normal check-in time.
- Airlines may require up to 48 hours notice for some accommodations, such as transporting an electric wheelchair on an aircraft with fewer than 60 seats.
At TSA screening
TSA says to tell the officer whether you can walk or stand. You may ask for a chair or to be screened seated. TSA screens wheelchairs and scooters, including cushions and non-removable pouches, and tests for traces of explosives. Walkers, crutches and canes go through the X-ray. If you are 75 or older in a wheelchair or scooter in a standard lane, you may stay seated. Rules change, check the official page before you travel.
Sources: DOT: Wheelchair and Guided Assistance, DOT: About the Air Carrier Access Act, DOT: Lost, Delayed, or Damaged Baggage, TSA: Disabilities and Medical Conditions. Read 5 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay for wheelchair help?
DOT says airlines may not charge for accommodations the rule requires, such as hazardous materials packaging for batteries.
Do I have to ask for help at the airport?
Yes. DOT says you must self-identify to airline staff at the airport as a person needing assistance.
What if the airline damages my wheelchair?
DOT says on domestic flights the airline is liable up to the original purchase price of a lost or damaged assistive device.
Where can I complain?
DOT says to ask for the airline's Complaints Resolution Official, which airlines must make available at no cost.