TSA officers detected this handgun at one of the security checkpoints at DCA earlier this year. (TSA photo)
ARLINGTON, Va. --Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials are concerned about the frequency that they are seeing travelers carry handguns to security checkpoints at Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) and Washington Dulles International (IAD) airports. Most of those guns are found to be loaded.
“The most common excuse we hear is that someone forgot that they had their gun with them,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for both airports. “That’s no excuse. If you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times. It’s part of being a responsible gun owner.”
The TSA teams at both Washington area airports detected a combined 49 guns at the security checkpoints in 2021 and so far they’ve caught eight more guns this year. TSA officers at IAD have stopped two guns and officers at DCA have caught six guns so far in 2022.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, placed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the locked case must be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
TSA firearms catches at Washington area airport checkpoints 2016 to 2022
|
Year |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 As of 2/22/22 |
|
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) |
19 |
13 |
16 |
14 |
10 |
30 |
6 |
|
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) |
24 |
19 |
17 |
19 |
7 |
19 |
2 |
|
Total |
43 |
32 |
33 |
33 |
17 |
49 |
8 |
When an individual shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the checkpoint lane comes to a standstill until the police resolve the incident. Thus, guns at checkpoints can delay travelers from getting to their gates.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who bring weapons with them to a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating or aggravating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
“The penalties are stiff for carrying a gun to a checkpoint,” Johnson said. “You could face criminal penalties on top of federal civil citations that can be extremely costly. My advice is to not make the mistake of bringing your gun to the checkpoint in the first place. We’re happy to help transport your firearm. All we ask is that you pack it safely and properly for your flight.”
Travelers are responsible for the contents of bags and TSA recommends that travelers go through their carry-on and checked bags before they head to the airport to ensure that they have no illegal or prohibited items inside. Carrying a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a stiff federal civil penalty that can run into the thousands of dollars. Even if someone has a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane.
Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 guns at airport security checkpoints last year. Eighty-six percent of those guns were loaded.