This gun was detected by a TSA officers in a traveler’s carry-on bag at Reagan National Airport on Nov. 28. (TSA photo)
ARLINGTON, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prevented an Alexandria, Va., resident from carrying his handgun onto a flight on Monday, Nov. 28. It was the 29th gun detected by TSA officers at the airport so far this year.
The 9mm caliber handgun was not loaded. It was located among the man’s carry-on items. When TSA officers spotted the firearm, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police were notified, confiscated the weapon and cited the man.
“As we wind down from the busy Thanksgiving travel period, our TSA officers are remaining alert and vigilant,” said John Busch, TSA Federal Security Director for the airport. “However, travelers need to do their part to help ensure that they have an efficient checkpoint experience. An important part of that is knowing that there are no illegal or prohibited items among your carry-on possessions. If you are a gun-owner, make sure that firearm is not in any of your carry-on bags.”
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows travelers to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Firearms Caught at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport checkpoints, 2017 to 2022
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 (As of 11/28/22) |
|
Guns caught at DCA checkpoints |
13 |
16 |
14 |
10 |
30 |
29 |
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating 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. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual may lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
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 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2021, about 86 percent were loaded.