BANGOR, Maine —
QUESTION
Can you travel by airplane with a firearm?
THE SOURCES
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
- Bangor Police Department
THE ANSWER
Yes, you can travel with a firearm on an airplane, as long as you follow these very specific rules.
WHAT WE FOUND
TSA representatives said they're seeing a steady increase in the number of firearms that are being found at airport security checkpoints across the country.
Oscar De Los Reyes is the TSA Federal Security director for the state of Maine. Reyes said finding guns at checkpoints is a common occurrence nationwide. Although traveling with a gun is legal, there is still a right and a wrong way to do it.
"The seriousness is an accidental discharge, which is what we're trying to avoid," Reyes said.
Reyes said in the last ten years, the number of guns found at airport security screen checkpoints has tripled, quoting that 6,7000 guns were detected at airport checkpoints last year. Reyes said 93 percent of those guns were loaded.
"Officers have to take time to make sure it's not a threat item or a safety concern to the rest of the traveling public," Reyes explained, stating that when people improperly store their firearms, everyone's transition through TSA gets delayed.
Bangor Police Department public information officer Jason McAmbley said if you want to travel with your firearm, you have to first be responsible.
"If you're going to play the game, know the rules," McAmbley said.
So, the question. What is the proper way to travel with your firearm?
TSA's gun travel guidelines state that your firearm must be stored in a hard-sided, lockable case. The gun also can't be loaded. When traveling, the gun must be separate from the ammunition, stored in the proper casing and packed in your checked bag. Firearms can never be packed with your carry-on items.
"It's a proper way to make sure that the firearm is not loose," Reyes said. "That it's properly contained. That it's not loaded, which is incredibly important. And that the ammunition is, as well, properly packaged again to make sure that the firearm is safe for transport underneath the plane and not in the cabin with the rest of the public."
Reyes said if your firearm is detected at a TSA checkpoint, you may face legal consequences.
"You're looking at civil penalties and a possible referral for criminal action to include up to a$10,000 fine for a first offense," Reyes said.
Failing to follow the firearm safety rules doesn't just stop at hefty fines. You can be arrested and even be put on a no-fly list.
"Sometimes it's just for that airline, but if it's a federal offense, no, no!," McAmbley said. "No fly. You misunderstood. We don't mean just today. We mean for good, and I'm sure there's people who are still on that list that did dumb things."
McAmbley said the severity of the consequences is situational.
If you plan to travel with a firearm, be sure to visit TSA's website to get a full understanding of how to properly store your gun for travel.
McAmbley said if you don't want to travel with your gun, but you also don't want to leave it at home, you can always check with your local police department and ask them to hold your firearm until you return from your trip. He said if you are traveling overseas, you can also check with the nearest border patrol office to see if you can leave your weapons there to retrieve after you return to the states.