Record Number Of Firearms Stopped In 2024 At 4 VA Airports: TSA

ARLINGTON, VA — Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport were two of the four airports in Virginia to set new records for detecting firearms at security checkpoints, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA officers detected at total of 117 firearms at the three airports serving Washington, D.C., in 2024.

At Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, 47 firearms were stopped compared to 42 in 2023. TSA officers at Washington National detected 41 in 2024, which was two more than the 39 stopped in 2023. At Dulles Airport, 29 firearms were stopped in 2024 compared to 24 the year before.

In addition, 32 firearms were detected at Richmond International Airport checkpoints and 34 guns were stopped at Norfolk International Airport in 2024, according to TSA.

Nationwide, TSA stopped a total of 6,678 firearms in 2024, which is less than the 6,737 intercepted in 2023. That was the first decline in firearms detected by TSA since 2020, when airlines flew fewer flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-four percent of the guns TSA stopped in 2024 were loaded.

“It was disappointing to continue to see so many travelers continue to bring their firearms to our security checkpoints,” said John Busch, TSA federal security director for Reagan National Airport. “If someone wants to transport their firearm to their destination, all that we ask is that they pack it properly, so that nobody has access to it during a flight.”

Scott T. Johnson, TSA federal security director for Dulles Airport, commended TSA officers across Virginia for the work they did in 2024.

“They come to work every day, weekends, holidays on multiple shifts to ensure that people get to their destinations safely and this is a testament to the good work that they perform every day,” he said.

Depending on the jurisdiction, travelers who bring a firearm to a TSA checkpoint could face stiff penalties. In Virginia, it is a criminal act to bring a firearm to the checkpoint.

“We saw almost double the number of guns intercepted at our Richmond checkpoints in 2024 compared to 2023,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA Federal Security Director for southern Virginia airports. “Additionally, we saw an uptick in the number of guns people brought to our Norfolk checkpoints. Gun owners need to pay closer attention to the contents of their carry-on bags to ensure that they are not bringing a firearm to our checkpoints. Even if someone has a concealed permit to carry a firearm, it does not mean you can bring it into the cabin of a plane.”

How To Travel Legally With A Handgun

Passengers are allowed to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case, with ammunition stored separately. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter, where it will be checked with the traveler's baggage.

The TSA has details online that explain how to properly travel with a firearm.

Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil fines for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can reach $14,950 per violation per person, depending on mitigating circumstances.

The ban on guns on airplanes applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits, as well as passengers who are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint.

Fines for violations start at $390 and increase from there; a complete list of civil penalties is posted online.