http://www.tsa.dot.gov/public/display?content=295
Religious or Cultural Needs
General Screening Considerations for Religious or
Cultural Needs
If you do not want to go through the metal
detector, you may request a personal
search (pat-down inspection) as an
alternative.
You may also ask the screener for a private
area for this personal search. You will
be provided a screener of the same gender,
except in extraordinary situations. In
the unlikely situation where a screener of
the same gender is not available, you will
be provided with alternatives, which may
include waiting for a same-gender
screener to arrive, or consenting to a
search by a screener of the opposite gender.
If you refuse appropriate screening you will
not be allowed to pass the security
checkpoint and you will be unable to board
your plane.
Head Coverings
It may be necessary for you to remove your head
covering during the screening process.
If the screener asks you to remove a head
covering, you may request a private area to
provide privacy while the head cover is removed,
inspected, and restored.
Religious, Cultural or Ceremonial Items
There are items in this category that are
not permitted through the security
checkpoint (e.g., religious knives, swords).
Therefore, it is advised that you place
such items in your checked baggage. Check
the permitted/prohibited list for more
information.
If the screener asks you to provide a
religious, cultural or ceremonial item for
screening, you may request a
hand-inspection. If the item is prohibited from the
cabin of the aircraft you will be asked to
place the item in your checked baggage
or speak to your airline about checking the
item. If the item is delicate or fragile, or
special handling is otherwise required,
please let the screener know so that he or
she can handle the item accordingly.
If the screener requests that you put a delicate
or fragile item through the X-ray machine,
you may want to ask the screener to ensure that
there is no baggage immediately before
or after the item so that it will not be damaged.
Bins are available at the X-ray machine.
