TSA Finds 18 Guns A Day At Security Checkpoints. Almost All Are Loaded

People keep trying to bring an alarming number of guns through airport security checkpoints.

Firearms are prohibited at security checkpoints, in the secure area of an airport and in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, even if a passenger has a concealed carry permit or is in a constitutional carry jurisdiction.

The Transportation Security Administration says it found 5,028 firearms at airport checkpoints during the first nine months of 2024.

That is an average of 18.3 firearms detected per day at TSA checkpoints. Officials say that more than 93% of them were loaded.

Transportation Security Officers screened more than 678 million passengers through the first three quarters of 2024. That is up from 638 million in the same period a year ago.

The agency says record-setting summer travel volumes drove the 6.3% increase.

Officers found 7.5 firearms per million passengers in the past three months. That is down from the same period in 2023 when officers found 8.1 firearms per one million passengers.

"TSA is committed to keeping travelers, our officers, and airport employees safe, and the number of firearms being discovered at airport security checkpoints remains a significant challenge," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. "Each firearm brought to a checkpoint, whether by accident or on purpose, presents a threat to other passengers and our employees, and causes delays for the traveler with the firearm."

Travelers can take guns on planes but they must be unloaded, in a locked, hard-sided case and in checked baggage. They also have to declare it to the airline at the ticket counter.

"We cannot stress enough the importance of ensuring firearms are secured properly in the passenger's checked bag and never brought to the security checkpoint," Pekoske said.

The TSA also warns that airline passengers are responsible for learning about the firearms laws of foreign destinations, which may prohibit traveling with firearms and carry significant criminal penalties for doing so.

In some countries, it is also illegal to carry ammunition on its own. There have been several recent cases of Americans being held after being found with bullets in their luggage.

TSA says it does not confiscate or seize firearms. If a passenger brings a firearm to the security checkpoint, TSA contacts local law enforcement to take the gun. Depending on local laws, the passenger may be arrested or issued a citation.

The flier may also face a civil penalty of up to $15,000. For a first offense, passengers will lose TSA PreCheck® eligibility for five years. A second offense will result in permanent disqualification from the program, along with additional civil penalties.