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ARLINGTON, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prevented a Fauquier County, Va., man from carrying his loaded handgun onto a flight this morning, one day after an Alexandria, Va., resident was also stopped with his loaded gun at one of the airport checkpoints. It was the 17th gun detected by TSA officers at the airport so far this year.
The .22 caliber gun caught this morning (July 26) was detected via the X-ray machine as the Midland, Va., resident was entering the security checkpoint with his carry-on items.
“TSA has been in existence for nearly 21 years, and the law that prohibits the carrying of a firearm onto a flight has been in place since long before TSA even existed, so this prohibition is nothing new,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “If you own a firearm, it is your responsibility to know the laws, rules and regulations when it comes time to traveling with your gun. Bringing a firearm with you to the airport security checkpoint is a violation of Virginia law. In addition to law enforcement involvement, travelers who bring guns to checkpoints will also face a financial civil penalty that can run into thousands of dollars.”
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.
Firearms Caught at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport checkpoints, 2017 to 2022
Guns caught at DCA checkpoints
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 handgun 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 may 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.
Nationwide, TSA officers detected 5,972 firearms on passengers or their carry-on bags at checkpoints last year. Of the guns caught by TSA in 2022, about 86 percent were loaded.