Record-Setting Firearm Stopped By TSA At Washington Dulles Airport

DULLES, VA — Authorities at Washington Dulles International Airport intercepted the 26th firearm of the year, breaking the record for most guns TSA has detected in a single year, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The previous record of 25 was set in 2022.

On Monday, the X-ray unit at an airport security checkpoint notified TSA officers to check the carry-on bag of a traveler from Warrenton. Searching the bag, officers found a 45 caliber handgun was loaded with eight bullets, including one in the chamber.

TSA contacted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police, who confiscated the weapon and issued a citation to the traveler. The man faces potential civil penalties up to $15,000 for bringing a forearm to an airport checkpoint, according to TSA.

“Our officers are to be commended for their continued vigilance as travelers continue to bring their firearms to our checkpoints,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “Monday’s gun was the 26th one our team has intercepted at our checkpoints, which is a new record for a single year. Still, this is not the type of record that we aim to set. We would much rather see fewer travelers bringing their guns to the checkpoints.”

Related: Record Tied For Most Handguns Seized At VA Airport In A Year

At Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, TSA tied the record on Monday for the firearms stopped at airport checkpoints. Officers found the .380 caliber handgun loaded with seven bullets in the West Virginia woman’s carry-on items. This was the 39th firearm TSA officers detected at the airport this year, which ties the 2023 record for the most guns removed from carry-on items at the airport in a single year, according to the TSA.

“Travelers are responsible for the contents of their carry-on bags, so it is vitally important to know that you do not have anything illegal or prohibited inside,” Johnson said. “To help ensure that there is nothing inside, it is a best practice to start with an empty bag. For example, if you don’t know what you may have thrown in your backpack last week, empty it completely and start to pack it from scratch before heading to the airport.”

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.