TSA officers prevent Delaware man from bringing firearm onto flight at Washington Dulles International Airport

DULLES, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) prevented a Delaware man from bringing his handgun onto a flight on Monday, July 2. The 9mm firearm was not loaded.   

The weapon was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint and the X-ray unit alerted on his carry-on bag. TSA officers identified the firearm among the man’s carry-on items and notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police who confiscated the firearm and cited the man on a weapons charge.  

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

“It is disappointing that we continue to see travelers bring firearms to our checkpoints,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Part of being a responsible owner of a firearm is knowing where it is at all times and knowing that it is not permitted to be carried through a checkpoint and into the cabin of a plane. If you want to travel with your firearm, there’s a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. The wrong way is to bring it to a checkpoint. The right way is to unload it and pack it in a hard-sided locked case. Then take the case to your airline check-in counter to declare that you want to fly with it. At that point, the airline will ensure it is transported in the belly of the plane where nobody has access to it during a flight. It’s a simple process.”

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.  

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

Last year, 6,735 firearms were caught at airport security checkpoints nationwide, of which 93 percent were loaded. 

Firearms caught by TSA at Washington Dulles International National Airport checkpoints, 2016 to 2024

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. 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).