Here Is the Only Right Way to Travel with a Firearm

The Transportation Security Administration intercepted 42 guns at Pittsburgh International Airport in 2024, a slight drop from 2023, when TSA confiscated 44.

In 2024, TSA stopped 6,678 firearms at 277 airport checkpoints nationwide, a decline from the 6,737 intercepted in 2023.

Pennsylvania statewide also saw a decrease in the number of firearms detected from the year before. In 2024, nine Pennsylvania commercial airports intercepted 97 handguns as compared to 103 in 2023.

“Our officers across the state are to be commended for their continued vigilance in ensuring that no prohibited or illegal items are carried onto a flight,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Pennsylvania. “It was good to see fewer people bringing their guns to our checkpoints in 2024, however it continues to be disappointing to see individuals who are still bringing their firearms to our security checkpoints.

“When stopped by our officers, the majority of people claim that they forgot that they had their gun with them,” Spero added. “It is careless and irresponsible to not know where your gun is. Responsible gun owners know where their gun is at all times. And they know not to bring it to an airport checkpoint.”

Spero was in Pittsburgh on Jan. 23 to demonstrate how to legally pack a firearm and ammunition if you must travel with them.

Guns must be checked in a locked, hard-sided container

The TSA allows the transportation of unloaded firearms in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only. Declare the firearm and/or ammunition to the airline when checking your bag at the ticket counter. Ask your airline about limitations or fees that may apply.

The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. Be aware that the container the firearm was in when purchased may not adequately secure the firearm when it is transported in checked baggage.

Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with regulations. You may use any brand or type of lock to secure a firearm case, including TSA-recognized locks.

Ammunition must be strictly secured

A loaded firearm is defined as having a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm. For civil enforcement purposes, TSA also considers a firearm to be loaded when both the firearm and ammunition are accessible to the passenger.

For example, if an individual has a firearm in accessible baggage and ammunition in his/her pocket, or any combination where the individual has access to both, the firearm is considered “loaded” for purposes of assessing a civil penalty.

Whether loaded or empty, firearm magazines and ammunition clips must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm.

Small arms ammunition (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic or metal box specifically designed to carry ammunition and declared to your airline.

Ammunition may be transported in the same hard-sided, locked case as a firearm if it has been packed as described previously. You cannot use firearm magazines or clips for packing ammunition unless they enclose the ammunition entirely. Whether loaded or empty, firearm magazines and ammunition clips must be boxed or included within a hard-sided, locked case.

Please check with your airline for quantity limits for ammunition.

You can not bring any firearm or ammunition through security

Bringing an unloaded firearm with accessible ammunition to the security checkpoint carries the same civil penalty/fine as bringing a loaded firearm to the checkpoint.

Information on civil penalties is available on the TSA Civil Enforcement page.

Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage even though they be transported in checked baggage.

Carrying ammunition through a TSA checkpoint also carries a heavy civil penalty. Ammunition must be transported in checked baggage.

Special circumstances

• Rifle scopes are permitted in carry-on and checked baggage.
• Replica firearms, including toys, may be transported in checked baggage only.
• If you are traveling internationally with a firearm in checked baggage, please check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for information and requirements.

More information

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition