This handgun was detected by TSA officers in a passenger’s carry-on bag at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) in October 2024. (TSA photo)
INDIANAPOLIS – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers stopped 78 handguns at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) security checkpoints in 2024, a significant decrease from the all-time high of 95 detected last year.
Nationwide, TSA officers stopped a total of 6,678 firearms, 18 firearms per day on average, at TSA checkpoints last year. 94% of these firearms were loaded. This total is down slightly from the agency’s record 6,737 firearms stopped in 2023.
Firearms at TSA checkpoints represent an unnecessary risk and an expensive mistake for passengers who do not follow proper packing guidance for firearms in checked baggage.
“Bringing a firearm to the checkpoint is a careless, dangerous mistake that can be easily avoided,” Indiana TSA Federal Security Director Aaron Batt said. “When individuals bring firearms to our checkpoints, they are introducing a risk to everyone in the area. These incidents also slow down the checkpoint screening process for other travelers because when a firearm is detected, all activity in the lane comes to a complete halt until police arrive. Unloaded firearms can be packed with checked baggage and declared to the airline.”
Firearms caught by TSA at Indiana airport checkpoints, 2020 to 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Indianapolis International Airport (IND) | 78 | 95 | 68 | 74 | 36 |
| Evansville Regional Airport (EVV) | 7 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 2 |
| Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) | 7 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| South Bend International Airport (SBN) | 5 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 5 |
IND’s decrease is notable because about 5.9 million people were screened at TSA checkpoints last year, a 9 percent increase over 2023. TSA officers detected 13.3 firearms per million people screened in 2024; in 2023, that number was about 17.6 firearms detected per million people screened.
When a firearm is detected at a security checkpoint, TSA officers immediately contact local law enforcement, who remove the passenger and the firearm from the checkpoint area. Depending on local laws, the law enforcement officer may arrest or cite the passenger. TSA does not confiscate firearms.
In addition to law enforcement action, TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint with a civil penalty up to about $15,000, revokes TSA PreCheck® eligibility for at least five years and may conduct enhanced screening to ensure there are no other threats present.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should check for firearm laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.