Hopefully, we all know that you can't legally board an aircraft with an undeclared firearm.

Now let me preface this by saying you can transport unloaded firearms in a locked hard-sided container as checked baggage only.

The legal way to do that is to declare that you have a firearm and or ammunition to the airline as you check in at the baggage counter. Hunters will typically follow this procedure when they travel on out-of-state hunting trips.

Get our free mobile app

Even though this information should be common knowledge to most, it still doesn't stop a few knuckleheads out there from attempting to board an aircraft with a firearm on their person or in their luggage.

As a matter of fact, that very act happened a total of nine times right here in Sioux Falls during 2024.

Pigeon 605 reports that TSA intercepted nine firearms at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport last year alone. That total was up slightly from the five firearms that were seized at the Sioux Falls Airport in 2023.

The number of guns grabbed by TSA agents in Sioux Falls last year was just a drop in the bucket compared to the total number intercepted in the nation.

According to the Pigeon 605 article, Transportation Security Administration officials seized 6,678 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2024. 94% of those firearms were loaded at the time they were confiscated.

Pigeon 605 reported that the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 904 million travelers in 2024 when you compare that number to the total number of firearms seized, it translates into 7.4 firearms per million people.

What happens when you get caught attempting to board an aircraft with a firearm?

A transportation security officer immediately contacts local law enforcement, who removes the individual and the firearm from the checkpoint area. Depending on the local laws of where you get caught, you could be arrested or cited.

In addition to whatever law enforcement officials elect to do, the TSA can also lay a few lovely parting gifts on you, like the possibility of a maximum civil penalty of almost $15,000. You will also have your TSA PreCheck eligibility revoked for at least five years and you could undergo enhanced screening to ensure that there are no other threats present, which takes up additional time.

Regardless, it's a hefty price to pay for attempting to fly with an undeclared firearm.

In 2024, the TSA put together a public awareness campaign called "Prepare, Pack, Declare." As Pigeon 605 reports, the campaign is designed to educate the public on the necessary steps to take for safely traveling with a firearm.

You can learn all about that campaign here.

Source: Pigeon 605/TSA