Flying With Firearms

In the previous two posts, I’ve shared some basics of traveling with firearms and traveling while armed. Now in this third and final installment, I’m going to address flying within the United States with firearms.  As always, this blog post is not legal advice. If you have any questions, you should contact a qualified lawyer for your specific situation.  

Rules of Flying With Firearms

To be clear, without the appropriate law enforcement badge and clearance, you cannot fly armed. You can only fly with firearms in checked luggage, UNDERNEATH THE PLANE.    

This post is about domestic flights only; traveling internationally with firearms becomes immensely more complicated and can change with every nation you may choose to fly to. While the basics of flying with a firearm are relatively simple, it’s something that must be done carefully with thoughtful planning.  

The following are some basics to help you prepare, but you should also review the TSA website (https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition) and your particular airline for the most current regulations before you leave for the airport: 

1. The firearm must be in your checked baggage, unloaded in a hard-sided container, and locked securely. You absolutely cannot carry a firearm, ammunition, or any firearm parts, such as firing pins, bolts, and magazines into the cabin.  (Optics such as a rifle scope can be carried on, though.)   
    
2. You must use a hard case with at least one lock that only you have the ability to unlock.  While a TSA-approved lock is acceptable under TSA regulations, I’d suggest a lock that you must be present to unlock.  If the case has a spot for two locks on both sides, you must do that.  The box must be locked in a way that ensures it can’t be pried open from any side.  If you use a pistol case that fits inside your suitcase, securing it to the rest of the suitcase with a bicycle chain or something similar is a wise extra precaution. I also suggest that you put an Airtag, Tile, Chipolo, or other electronic tracking device inside your locked gun case.  
    
3. Your gun must be unloaded, and the ammunition should be removed from the magazine and placed in a separate box designed to carry ammo.  I usually suggest that it be carried in the factory box or something like an MTM plastic box. (https://mtmcase-gard.com/products/ammo-box-50-round-flip-top-9mm-380-acp) (It’s worth noting that most airlines limit the total amount of ammunition you can carry in your luggage to 11 pounds.) 
    
4. Once you arrive at the airport, you will need to go to your airline’s counter to check your firearm with the rest of your luggage.  At the counter, calmly tell the agent that you have a firearm you need to check. (I’d advise you to word it more carefully than just, “I have a gun!”) The clerk will ask you to fill out a declaration form; politely follow all of the counter clerk’s directions.  It would be smart to carry printed TSA regulations and your airline’s regulations on traveling with a firearm to have handy in case the clerk is unsure what to do. Before it is checked and your baggage is on its way, be sure the key to access your gun case is on your person.  Do not make the mistake of leaving the keys inside your checked luggage! 
5. When you arrive at your destination, follow the airline’s policy on retrieving your luggage with your firearm.  Some airlines will just put your luggage on the carousel like usual while others will require you to go to an office to show your ID and retrieve your luggage. Be sure to ask the clerk when you check your luggage what the policy is for your airline.  

The firearm that you take with you must be legal to possess at your destination.  As I say repeatedly, ignorance of the law is no excuse.  Choose wisely when deciding what to carry on your travels.  I recently heard famed trainer Darryl Bolke say in a podcast interview, “It’s like traveling with golf clubs,” when it comes to traveling with a small revolver that may garner less attention than a large semi-automatic pistol.  His point was simple: travel with something more commonly accepted under city or state laws (and possibly a jury) whenever possible. 

If you end up diverted or stuck in an airport where you didn’t intend, DO NOT take possession of your luggage if it has a firearm in it that is not legal in that locale.  Make sure it goes on to your final destination, though.  This means you need to be aware of the laws of where your layover is. Personally, I’ve always been careful to choose layovers that are not as “dangerous” if I am traveling with a gun.  For instance, I’m hesitant to fly through Chicago Midway or O’Hare in the dead of winter when I may get stuck if the weather isn’t cooperative.  A layover in Atlanta or Charlotte may be wiser.  I realize this may sound extreme, but I’d rather be considered overly cautious than a convicted felon. My position on this was reinforced by hearing Bolke, in the same interview, say, “You have no idea where that plane is going to land...You might be going from one gun-friendly state to another gun-friendly state, and something happens, and you land…in a place that hates semi-automatic anything, that has magazine bans, that has ammunition restrictions…”   He’s 100% right!  

When looking at your choices for travel, pay attention to your method of travel to your final destination.  Gun writer and pro-shooter Kenzie Fitzpatrick recounted a story to me that she once thought she had a connecting flight, and once she arrived at her layover, her next “flight” ended up being a connecting bus that forbade firearms even in checked luggage.  The “connecting bus” is more common than many of us would think, especially when transiting from larger airports to smaller airports in close proximity (an hour or so drive). Instead of her connection, she ended up having to scramble for a rental car to avoid a nightmare of more delays.  

Lastly, when traveling, it is imperative that you be sure of what is in your luggage and on your person at all times.  A client of mine accidentally left her carry gun in her purse as she attempted to get through a TSA checkpoint to her flight.  Not only did she miss her flight, but she ended up spending the remainder of the evening in jail and authorities ceased her firearm permanently as a part of the penalty. An empty brass casing left in a coat pocket, in the bottom of a duffel bag, or worse yet, live rounds, magazines, or a gun in a bag could lead to significant legal trouble before departure. For this reason, I suggest keeping range attire and a range bag separate from what you would usually travel with. Range bags are cheap, separate carry-on luggage is cheap; forfeiting your gun permanently, attorneys, fines, and TSA civil penalties are not cheap.  

Conclusion

I realize some of my advice may sound extreme to seasoned travelers, and I’m okay with that judgment. Traveling with firearms is simple but, as with anything firearm-related, there is little room for error. Your error here may not take a life or limb; it could destroy your life with a felony at worst or be an expensive and annoying consequence of losing or having your firearm stolen at best.   An ounce of educated prevention here is worth a pound of cure!  

Interested in taking a firearms class near you? Trainers, register as a shooting instructor today.