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

DULLES, Va. –  A South Carolina man was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) intercepted a firearm among the man’s carry-on items on Wednesday, July 10.  The .40 caliber weapon was loaded with eight bullets, including one in the chamber. Two gun magazines containing 12 total bullets also were detected alongside the firearm.

The man told officials that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him.

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 inside the man’s carry-on bag and notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police who confiscated the firearm and cited the man on a weapons charge.  

“Telling us that you forgot that you were carrying a loaded gun is inexcusable. Travelers need to pay more attention to the items that they have inside their carry-on bags,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags. In addition, responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and they know not to bring them to a security checkpoint. Bringing guns to checkpoints is a serious security violation.”

Johnson praised the TSA officers for their good catch. “This is the busiest period of travel that our agency has seen and I commend our officers for remaining vigilant and staying focused on the mission during this busy time,” he said.

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. 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.

In the first six months of the year, TSA officers have intercepted 3,269 firearms at airport security checkpoints nationwide, of which 94 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).