Most Guns Found at TSA Checkpoints Are Loaded

This translates into 16.5 firearms every day being detected at TSA airport checkpoints with over 206 million airline passengers that were screened by Transportation Security Officers during that first quarter of the year.

Passengers may travel with a firearm, but it must be:

•             Secured in the passenger’s checked baggage

•             Packed unloaded

•             Locked in a hard-sided case

•             Declared to the airline when checking the bag at the ticket counter

Even for passengers who have a concealed carry permit or are in a constitutional carry jurisdiction, firearms are prohibited at security checkpoints, in the secure area of an airport, and in the passenger cabin of an aircraft.

While TSA does not itself confiscate or seize firearms, if a passenger brings a firearm to the security checkpoint on their person or in their carry-on luggage, the officer will contact local law enforcement to safely unload and take possession of the firearm.

Law enforcement may also arrest or cite the passenger, depending on local law. TSA may impose a civil penalty up to almost $15,000, and for the first offense, passengers who bring a firearm to a security checkpoint will lose TSA PreCheck® eligibility for 5 years. Second offenses will result in permanent disqualification from the program and additional civil penalties.

Have Gun? How to Travel

If one needs to travel with a firearm, it must be declared to the airline at the ticket counter and must be packed in a hard-sided case in checked baggage only. The firearm must be unloaded, and ammunition must be packed separately in a specific manner. Travelers must also comply with federal, state, and local laws regarding firearms.

The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. The container the firearm was in when purchased may not adequately secure the firearm when it is transported in checked baggage.

For passengers traveling internationally with a firearm in checked baggage, it is important to check the US Customs and Border Protection website for information and requirements prior to travel.

That Toy Gun Might Be Cute, But…

Pretty much anything except a rifle scope or an empty gun holster, must be transported in checked baggage, even toys.Replica firearms, including toys – even that orange, lime green, yellow, and purple toy gun – along with BB guns, cap guns, compressed air guns, flare guns (and flares), gun lighters, and gun powder can only be transported in checked baggage. Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on baggage but may be transported in checked baggage. However, even with checked luggage, passengers should check with the airline they will be flying on for quantity limits on ammunition.

TSA: 5072 Guns at US Airports So Far This Year