Lumen Field Bag Policy: What Seahawks & Sounders Fans Can Bring

A Sounders fan gets to the gate with the shoulder bag she's carried to a dozen games at other stadiums. Security waves her out of line before she reaches the scanner. The bag isn't clear, and at Lumen Field that's the only thing that matters. It doesn't matter that it's small, or that there's nothing dangerous inside it.

She has two options. Walk it back to her car, twenty minutes away in the North Lot. Or pay to check it at the bag-check truck outside the gate. Kickoff is in thirty minutes.

This happens at Lumen Field on both Seahawks Sundays and Sounders match nights. Here's exactly what gets you through the gate on the first try.

Quick Answer

Lumen Field requires a clear bag for entry to Seahawks games and Sounders FC matches. Your main bag has to be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC, no larger than 12" x 6" x 12". You can also carry one small non-clear clutch or wallet, plus a one-gallon clear freezer bag. Diaper bags and medically necessary bags skip the clear-bag rule but still go through inspection at a VIP gate. Headed to a concert instead? Check your specific event page. Concert bag rules aren't guaranteed to match the sports schedule.

Does the Bag Policy Differ for Seahawks, Sounders, and Concerts?

Not for the two teams that share the stadium. Seahawks games and Sounders FC matches run on the identical clear-bag policy. The Seahawks' own gameday page states the rule applies for all stadium events, Seahawks games and Sounders FC matches both included. Bring the same compliant bag to either one.

The one place this gets less certain is concerts and other non-team events. Lumen Field markets its baseline security approach as venue-wide, but concert promoters sometimes layer their own item restrictions on top of it. If you're going to a concert, confirm the bag policy on your ticket or the event's own page before you pack. Don't assume a Seahawks-compliant bag automatically clears a concert gate.

What You Can Bring Into Lumen Field

You get one primary bag, plus one small clutch or wallet alongside it. Your primary bag has to be one of these three:

• A clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC tote bag, no larger than 12" x 6" x 12"
  
• A clear backpack in the same size, with no more than two pockets
  
• A one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (a standard Ziploc works)

You can also bring, alongside your primary bag:

• One small clutch or wallet, in any color or material, up to roughly 4.5" x 6.5"
  
• A soft-sided seat cushion, as long as it has no pockets, zippers, metal frame, or strap

Tinted, frosted, or patterned plastic doesn't count as clear. If security can't see through it, they'll treat it the same as an opaque bag. Team logo tote bags are fine too, as long as they're clear and stay within the size limit.

For the rule that applies at other NFL stadiums too, see our NFL Clear Bag Policy guide.

Exact Size Limits

Putting an oversized bag inside a compliant clear bag doesn't work. If the combined bag pushes past 12" x 6" x 12", you'll be turned away at the gate, the same as if you'd shown up with the oversized bag on its own.

Get a Bag That Meets the Size Limit

The easiest way to skip the walk back to your car is to bring a bag built to the right size from the start. ClearBagsMarket carries clear totes and backpacks made to 12" x 6" x 12", the size limit Lumen Field requires. Shop stadium-ready clear bags

Medical and Diaper Bag Exceptions

Medically necessary items, insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, oxygen equipment, breast pumps, and prescribed medications, are allowed in a non-clear bag. Diaper bags get the same exemption, regardless of color or material.

These bags don't go through the regular turnstile line. Security routes them to a VIP entrance for a hands-on inspection instead. Lumen Field's guidance points to gates including the Cascade, Olympic, and Rainier VIP entrances, plus the Gate 1, 3, and 5 VIP entrances, though gate names and locations can shift between seasons, so confirm the current setup on your ticket or the stadium's site before game day.

Bring these items in the smallest bag that reasonably fits them. Neither team publishes a hard size cap for medical or diaper bags the way they do for the standard clear-bag rule, so "as compact as you can manage" is safer guidance than any specific number.

What's Not Allowed

Beyond bags that don't meet the size and material rules, Lumen Field turns away a long list of items:

• Laptops, of any size or case
  
• Glass, metal, or hard-sided containers, including soda cans
  
• Any alcohol brought from outside
  
• Drones and similar remote-controlled devices
  
• Weapons, pepper spray, fireworks, and other hazardous items
  
• Air horns, sirens, megaphones, and other noise devices
  
• Camera lenses over 200mm (about 8 inches), tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks
  
• Signs or banners on poles taller than 3.5 feet
  
• Outside beverages other than factory-sealed water and empty soft-sided bottles

A few things that catch people off guard: tablets are fine without a hard case, cameras are fine as long as the lens stays under 200mm, and portable phone chargers are allowed for charging your phone specifically, not for powering anything else. Collapsible umbrellas get in too, as long as they don't block the view of the people around you.

What Happens If Your Bag Doesn't Comply

Security checks every bag at the gate. If yours doesn't meet the policy, you don't get past that checkpoint.

You get two options at that point. Walk the bag back to your car, or check it at the bag-check service outside the stadium. Either way, you'll rejoin the entry line afterward with a compliant bag, so build extra time into your arrival if there's any chance your bag doesn't qualify.

Getting Through Security Faster

Gates typically open around 90 minutes before kickoff. Plan to arrive 60 to 75 minutes early to leave enough buffer for the security line, especially for weekend games or anything with a big draw.

A few things speed up the actual screening:

• Use a bag that's already compliant, so there's nothing to negotiate at the gate
  
• Empty your pockets of keys and coins before you reach the metal detector
  
• Load your mobile ticket and turn your screen brightness up, and screenshot it as backup in case cell service gets spotty inside
  
• If you or someone in your group needs extra time for accessibility or medical reasons, ask about early-entry lanes when you arrive

Left With the Wrong Bag? Here's Your Backup Option

Lumen Field doesn't have bag storage inside the stadium itself. If you show up with something that doesn't meet the policy, your options are your car or an outside bag-check service.

Walker's Lockers runs the official bag check for Lumen Field events, out of a truck at the northwest corner of the North Parking Lot (800 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134). It takes purses, camera cases, backpacks, luggage, strollers, and even pocket knives, for $10 to $20 per item, paid by credit card, debit card, or Apple Pay only (no cash). Sounders Alliance Members get a flat $10 rate with their Pro Shop Discount Card.

Hours vary by event: the truck opens 3 hours before kickoff for Seahawks games, and 2 hours before start for Sounders matches and concerts. It closes 1 hour after the event ends either way. Since third-party vendor hours can shift by season, confirm directly with Walker's Lockers or check with stadium staff on your way in.

If you're heading to Lumen Field straight from a flight, this is also your answer for luggage. There's no locker or storage option inside the stadium, so plan to check bags here or drop them somewhere else before you arrive.

Already have a clear bag that's seen better days? Here's how to clean a yellowed clear PVC bag so it's ready for the next game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you bring food into Lumen Field?

Yes, as long as it follows the clear bag policy. The Seahawks' prohibited items page says outside food entering Lumen Field must adhere to the clear bag policy and dimensions, so carry it in a clear bag up to 12" x 6" x 12" or a one-gallon clear freezer bag. Outside drinks are limited to factory-sealed water and empty soft-sided bottles.

What can you bring into Lumen Field?

One clear bag up to 12" x 6" x 12" (or a one-gallon clear freezer bag) plus a small clutch, food that fits the clear bag rules, factory-sealed water, an empty soft-sided bottle, blankets and collapsible umbrellas. Laptops, glass or metal containers, outside alcohol, drones, noise devices and camera lenses over 200mm are not allowed.

Can you bring a blanket into Lumen Field?

Yes. Blankets are on the Seahawks' permitted items list, and battery-operated heated blankets, jackets and vests are allowed too.

Can you bring an umbrella into Lumen Field?

Yes, as long as it's collapsible and doesn't interfere with other guests' enjoyment of the event.

Are fanny packs allowed at Lumen Field?

Not as a stand-in for a compliant bag. A regular fanny pack is opaque, and once it's bigger than the small-clutch limit, it doesn't qualify for that exception either. If you want something hands-free, look for a clear bag in a fanny-pack style that still fits the 12" x 6" x 12" limit.

Do diaper bags have to be clear at Lumen Field?

No. Diaper bags are exempt from the clear-bag rule. You'll go through a VIP gate for inspection instead of the regular line, so budget a few extra minutes for that stop.

Can I put a bigger bag inside my clear bag to get it past security?

No. If what's inside pushes the outer bag past 12" x 6" x 12", security treats it as an oversized bag, the same as if you'd brought it without the clear outer layer.

Can I store my bag or luggage at Lumen Field if it doesn't meet the policy?

Not inside the stadium. Walker's Lockers runs the official outside bag check from the North Parking Lot for a per-item fee. It's also your best option if you're arriving with luggage straight from the airport.

Is the bag policy the same for Seahawks games, Sounders matches, and concerts?

Seahawks and Sounders games run on the same policy. Concerts are less certain: check your specific event page before you pack, since promoters can set their own restrictions on top of the venue's baseline policy.

 

Sources

• Lumen Field: Clear Bag Policy, the venue's own size and material rules
• Seattle Seahawks: Prohibited Items & Clear Bag Policy, team-specific confirmation plus beverage and food detail
• Seattle Sounders FC: Clear Bag Policy, match-specific confirmation
• Walker's Lockers: Lumen Field Bag Check, official off-site bag-check pricing and hours