A Mountain Lakes, N.J., man was stopped with this loaded gun at Newark Liberty International Airport on March 15. (TSA photo)
NEWARK, N.J. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers intercepted two handguns in carry-on bags at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday, March 15. The incidents were not related.
A Mountain Lakes, N.J., man was stopped with a 9mm handgun loaded with four bullets. He told officials that he forgot that he had his gun with him. Later the same day, a Pearl River, N.Y., man was stopped when TSA detected his 9mm handgun loaded with six bullets. Both individuals had firearm permits and so police did not cite or arrest either individual. However, the guns were not permitted through the checkpoint.
“Our officers are good at their job, and they are focused on the mission,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags. Each of these individuals face a federal financial civil penalty. That could have been avoided had they properly packed their guns for a flight. The firearms need to be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided case and declared at their airline check-in counter. The airline representative then makes sure that the gun is transported in the belly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during a flight.”
Firearms caught at Newark Liberty International Airport checkpoints, 2018 to 2025
| Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (As of 3-16-25) |
| Guns caught at Newark Liberty International Airport checkpoints |
14 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
20 |
21 |
5 |
“Travelers always need to know the contents of their carry-on bag prior to coming to the security checkpoint and know that there is nothing illegal or prohibited inside,” Carter added.
The federal penalty for bringing a weapon to a TSA checkpoint can cost as much as $15,000, depending on the circumstances. TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and firearm parts with them at a checkpoint. This applies to individuals 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. If a traveler with a firearm is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline. The airline will be sure that the gun travels with checked baggage in the belly of the plane, never in the cabin of the plane.
TSA has multiple resources available to help determine whether an item is permitted in carry-on baggage, checked baggage, either or neither. Travelers can use the “Can I Bring?” feature on the TSA website or on the free downloadable myTSA app. Travelers can also tweet to @AskTSA or send a text message (275-872) 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.