NATIONAL — During the third quarter of 2023, the Transportation Security Administration stopped over 1,800 firearms at airport checkpoints nationwide, according to a spokesperson from the TSA.
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TSA expects this count to pass last year’s record of 6,542 firearm interceptions by the end of the year as 5,072 firearms have already been intercepted through the first three quarters of this year.
An average of 19.8 firearms per day at TSA checkpoints, and 94% of those are loaded, the spokesperson said.
Most firearms are detected in carry-on bags.
Those who do travel with a firearm must properly pack it in checked baggage and declare it to the airline.
If someone brings a firearm to the TSA checkpoint, the officer will contact local law enforcement to safely unload and take possession of the firearm.
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The law enforcement officer may arrest or cite the passenger depending on local law.
TSA may also impose a civil penalty of up to almost $15,000. The person who brings the firearm will also lose TSA PreCheck eligibility for five years.
“Firearms are only permitted in checked baggage, unloaded in a locked hard-sided case, and must be declared to the airline when checking the bag at the ticket counter. Firearms are prohibited at security checkpoints, in the secure area of an airport, or in the passenger cabin of an aircraft even if a passenger has a concealed carry permit or is in a constitutional carry jurisdiction,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.