TSA breaks yet another record nationally for firearm discoveries in 2022

Local Press Release
Tuesday, January 17, 2023

DALLAS FORT WORTH – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today

that its security screening officers in North Texas area airports detected 521 firearms in travelers’ carry-on luggage in 2022. Every one of these firearms was discovered during the routine X-ray screening of carry-on property at the security checkpoint. Nationwide last year, TSA officers found 6,542 firearms at 262 different airports.

TSA continues to set new records annually for the number of firearms discovered in carry-on bags, airports in North Texas are no exception. Below is a summary of TSA firearm discoveries at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW, Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), East Texas Regional Airport (GGG), Sheppard AFB/Wichita Falls Regional Airport (SPS), Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR) and nationally for the past five years:

Airport

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

DFW

219

218

176

317

385

DAL

89

102

     54

112

127

ABI

3

5

      2

7

5

GGG

1

2

      0

2

1

SPS

0

0

      0

0

0

TYR

3

1

      3

2

3

North Texas Area totals:

315

328

235

440

521

National totals:

4,239

4,432

3,257

5,972

6,542

The five U.S. airports with the most TSA firearm discoveries are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which topped the list with 448 firearm finds. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport came in second with 385 followed by Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport with 298; Nashville International Airport with 213 and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with 196. Orlando International Airport; Denver International Airport; Austin-Bergstrom International Airport; Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Tampa International Airport round out the Top 10.

In 2022, TSA screened approximately 761 million passengers and crew at airports nationwide. TSA officers across the country discovered firearms in carry-on luggage at a rate of 8.6 firearms per million passengers screened. Stated another way, TSA detected one firearm for every 116,394 travelers screened.

Below is a table summarizing the number of travelers screened for every firearm discovery at North Texas Area security checkpoints last year.

Number of travelers screened in 2022

Number of travelers screened
per firearm find

DFW

21,867,151

56,797

DAL

5,647,964

44,472

ABI

80,527

16,105

GGG

29,855

29,855

SPS

31,427

0

TYR

45,224

15,074

North Texas Area Airports

27,702,148

53,171

When a TSA officers sees the image of a firearm on the X-ray screen, TSA immediately notifies the local airport law enforcement agency, which responds to the security checkpoint. Law enforcement removes the firearm from the X-ray tunnel and makes contact with the traveler. What happens to the firearm and the traveler is up to discretion of airport law enforcement.

In addition to potential criminal citations for bringing a firearm in carry-on luggage, TSA can levy a civil penalty again the traveler. Among the factors TSA considers when determining the civil penalty amount include whether the firearm was loaded and whether there was accessible ammunition. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapons permit, firearms are not permitted in carry-on luggage.

 Individuals who violate rules regarding traveling with firearms will have Trusted Traveler status and TSA PreCheck® expedited screening benefits revoked for a period of time. The duration of the disqualification will depend upon the seriousness of the offense and if there is a repeated history of violations.Firearms can be transported on a commercial aircraft only if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and placed in checked baggage. Any type of replica firearm is also prohibited in carry-on baggage and must be transported in checked luggage.

At the airport during the check-in process, a passenger needs to go to the airline ticket counter to declare the firearm, ammunition and any firearm parts. Prior to traveling, passengers are encouraged to check gun laws and regulations at their destination to ensure they are in compliance with local and state laws. TSA also recommends travelers check with their airline prior to their flight to ensure they comply with any airline-specific requirements.

TSA has additional traveler information specifically related to the transportation of firearms and ammunition. A full summary of TSA’s civil penalties for prohibited items is also available.

TSA reminds passengers to be aware of the contents of their carry-on bag prior to coming to the security checkpoint. TSA has multiple resources available to passengers to help them determine whether an item is permitted in carry-on baggage, checked baggage or not at all.

Travelers can use the “Can I Bring?” feature on the TSA website or on the TSA mobile app, myTSA. Travelers can also Tweet or Message “@AskTSA” if they have a travel question or are unsure if an item is allowed through security in a carry-on bag. Just snap a picture or send a question and get real-time assistance daily from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST.

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