TSA officers prevent two men from carrying loaded guns in two days at Washington Dulles International Airport

DULLES, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) prevented a Florida man and a Virginia man from bringing their loaded handguns onto flights on Sunday, April 23, and Monday, April 24.  

Each weapon was caught as the men entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the carry-on bags and TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police who came to the checkpoint, confiscated the guns and cited the men on weapons charges. The incidents were not related.

On Sunday the Florida resident was in possession of a 9mm handgun loaded with 12 bullets, including one in the chamber. The very next day, Monday, the Virginia resident was in possession of a .45 caliber handgun loaded with nine bullets.

“Our officers do an excellent job of maintaining the safety of all passengers.  It is disappointing to continue to see travelers bringing their guns to our security checkpoints,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Let me be very clear on this point—you cannot carry a gun onto a plane. Even gun owners with a concealed carry permit or enrollment in the TSA PreCheck® program are not exempt from the no guns on planes policy. Bringing a loaded firearm to a security checkpoint not only slows down the individuals in that lane, but it is also a security and safety concern.”

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should 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.

In addition to the citation by airport police, this individual now faces a stiff financial civil penalty, and penalties for carrying a weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.

Firearms are not permitted through a security checkpoint because passengers should not have access to a firearm during a flight. This even applies to travelers with concealed carry permits or are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.  Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint also face a federal financial civil penalty.

Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. Eighty-eight percent of those guns were loaded.

TSA firearms catches at airport checkpoints at Washington Dulles International National Airport, 2016 to 2023

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 gun 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 will 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.

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 you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).