817 Guns Seized At FL Airports In 2024: TSA

FLORIDA — Though 817 guns were seized at Florida airports last year, the state actually saw a slight decrease in the number of travelers trying to fly out of the Sunshine State with firearms in their carry-on luggage in 2024, the Transportation Security Administration said in a news release.

In 2023, 834 guns were seized at Florida airports.

Overall, TSA agents seized 6,678 firearms, almost all of them loaded, before travelers could board airplanes at airports around the country last year, the agency said.

The TSA said 94 percent of the firearms seizures at U.S. airports were loaded weapons. Overall, seizures were down last year, although only marginally with a difference of only about 60 guns between 2024 and 2023.

TSA agents screened 903 million passengers in 2024, compared with 858 million the year prior. The rate of firearms seizures per 1 million travelers was 7.4 in 2024, compared with 7.8 in 2023.

Airports reporting the most gun seizures were Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta (440); Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (390); and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (272).

Two Florida airports were among the top 10 airports in the country for gun seizures last year. Orlando International saw 150 guns seized by agents and 135 firearms were found in luggage at Tampa International Airport.

Two other Florida airports had more than 100 seized by agents: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with 113 and Miami International Airport with 103.

Firearms are never allowed in carry-on bags, regardless of whether a passenger has a concealed weapon permit issued under local or state laws, which vary greatly across the United States.

Passengers may travel with unloaded firearms, but only if they are in a locked, hard-sided container in checked baggage, according to TSA rules. They also must declare the firearm and ammunition when checking the bag.

Other restrictions apply, and the TSA reminds gun owners the container the firearm was purchased in may not adequately secure the gun in checked baggage.