How to set a TSA lock combination on your suitcase (and what to do if you forget it)
Factory code 000, the reset button and a new combination, step by step. Plus what to do if you forget the code, and when a TSA lock really matters.
Contents
- A new suitcase with a TSA combination lock, including an Eternitive suitcase, comes set to 000.
- To set your own code, open the lock with the current code and press the reset button (often with the tip of a pen) or slide the lever.
- Dial the new numbers, release the button or slide the lever back, and test the new code while the suitcase is still open.
- Forgotten the code? Don’t force the lock: work through 000–999 (usually 15–30 minutes) or contact the manufacturer or a repairer.
Checked: 15 November 2026. Sources at the end of the article.
What is a TSA lock?
It’s a lock that airport security can open with a special tool and lock again, without damaging your suitcase. You’ll recognise it by the red diamond (the Travel Sentry mark) next to the lock. The small keyhole in the casing is for security staff only. You don’t get a key – you open the lock with your combination alone. Our FAQ covers in brief which of our suitcases have a TSA lock.
How do I set my own TSA lock combination?
Most combination locks built into suitcases follow the same pattern. Details – a button or a lever – vary between models, so if you have the manufacturer’s instructions, check them too.
- Open the suitcase with the current code. On a new suitcase that’s 000. Line the digits up on the marker and slide the release button. Take the zip pullers out of the lock.
- Find the reset button. It’s a small button or hole next to the dials, sometimes on the side of the lock or inside the suitcase. Some models have a sliding lever instead.
- Press and hold the button with the tip of a pen (or slide the lever). You’ll often hear a quiet click.
- Dial your new code, keeping the button pressed if your lock requires it.
- Release the button or slide the lever back. Your new code is saved.
- Test the code before you lock the suitcase. With the suitcase open, put the zip pullers into the lock, spin the dials, set your new code and try to open it. Do this 2–3 times.
Important: always change the code with the suitcase open. If something goes wrong, you won’t be left with a locked case and an unknown combination.
Which code should I choose?
- Don’t keep the factory 000 and avoid obvious codes such as 123 or 111.
- Don’t use your card PIN or your year of birth, which is easy to find on documents inside the case.
- Save the code in your phone or password manager. Don’t stick it on the suitcase.
- If the family has several suitcases, you can give them all the same code. It’s easier to remember on the road.
How do I lock a combination suitcase?
Zip the suitcase closed and push both zip pullers into the lock until you hear a click. Then spin the dials so they no longer show your code. The suitcase is now locked. If you don’t spin the dials, anyone can open it in one move.
What should I do if I forget the code?
- Don’t force the lock. You’ll damage the lock or the shell.
- Work through the codes from 000 to 999. Set the first two dials to 0 and turn the third, trying the release button each time. Then move the middle dial on, and so on. Travel Sentry estimates this takes 15–30 minutes.
- Start with codes you might have chosen: 000, a year, an old phone PIN, the code from another suitcase.
- Contact the manufacturer or retailer. Some manufacturers have instructions for specific lock models or will refer you to a repairer.
- Ask a locksmith or luggage repairer for help if nothing else works.
Airport security can’t help you here. The TSA tool opens the lock for screening, but it neither reveals nor changes your code. Once the suitcase is open, set a new code straight away and write it down.
When does a TSA lock matter – and when doesn’t it?
| Situation | Does a TSA lock help? |
|---|---|
| Flight to the USA, checked bag | Yes. The TSA screens checked bags and can open them with its key. An ordinary lock or padlock that can’t be opened may be cut off. |
| Flight to Canada, checked bag | Yes. According to Travel Sentry, the system is used at every airport in Canada. |
| UK, Ireland and other countries | It depends on the airport. Travel Sentry lists around 80 countries and more than 800 airports using its system, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany and Japan. |
| Hand luggage | Not really. At security you open your suitcase yourself if staff ask you to. |
Both the United Kingdom and Ireland appear on Travel Sentry’s list of countries (as of 28 October 2025), but participation is decided airport by airport. What happens to a locked suitcase that security needs to open depends on local procedures. A TSA lock never makes things worse: at the very least, it works like an ordinary combination lock.
In the USA you don’t have to lock your suitcase. The TSA states plainly that if a bag can’t be opened any other way, the lock may be cut. A lock with the red diamond doesn’t have that problem.
Sources
Checked 15 November 2026.
- Travel Sentry: How to reset TSA lock combination (2 April 2026), Forgot your combination on your TSA lock? (12 August 2025), What countries accept TSA locks (28 October 2025), company history
- TSA: TSA Recognized Locks (TSA blog, 18 February 2014)
- Samsonite: Locks – FAQ (factory code 0-0-0, setting the code)
Important: this article is for general information only and reflects the situation on the date it was checked (shown above). Airline, airport and government rules can change at any time. Before you travel, always check the latest information directly with your airline, the airport or the official source. This article is not legal advice, and Eternitive is not responsible for decisions made solely on the basis of it.
