TSA rules to fly with gun

[27hand]

I just came back from vacation to Cocoa Beach and Daytona beach.

I flew Airtran down nonstop and was supposed to fly United back but ended up on US Air with a layover.

I checked the TSA site and each airline site for procedure as i had never got on an aircraft with a handgun in checked baggage.

TSA said to verify any airline specific rules for flying with gun.

Both airline guidelines were not clear to me if the ammo could be in the same piece of luggage. Airtran rep could not definitley say. United said he was "pretty sure" the boxes of ammo had to be in separate luggage.

So, off I went to Greater Pitt airport, gun in locked case, ammo in metal box. Both items in same bag.

I declared the firearm at Airtran,was told the ammo had to be in other bag and was given a bright orange tag to put into the locked case with gun. I put ammo in wife's bag.
I had to then to go to TSA counter, remove lockbox,open it for inspection. TSA officer asked why the orange tag was in the lockbox. I explain the airline rep instructed me to do so. He qouted me some rule that it has to be tied to outside of box, did so and off we flew.

For the most part, pretty smooth and not too time consuming.


On the flight back from Orlando, I declare at US Air which I didn't check as my initial ticket said United , am instructed to once again put declaration into locked box and off to TSA screening area.

Orlando TSA doesn't ask any questions other than what bags contain what, doesn't open bags or check items and sends them on their way.

Completely different procedure (less time for me so I'm happy).

My kid had more trouble with some kind of hair gel and something else he had to give up at security.

I was wondering what a hassle it might be and some on this board assured me it was fairly simple.

One thing I didn't research as well as I should have is Fla restrictions for CCW areas and driving with a concealed firearm. Next time I'll read up .

Anyone else find differing requirements for flying with gun?

27

[NineseveN]

TSA
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1666.shtm

Airtran
http://www.airtran.com/policies/perm...d_items.aspx#6

Alaskan Airlines/Horizon
http://www.alaskaair.com/www2/help/f...latedItems.asp

Aloha Airlines (scroll down in the window at the bottom to 0195 "Special Items)
http://www.alohaairlines.com/travel_...f_carriage.php

American Airlines
http://www.aa.com/content/travelInfo...DSKIUQBFFRGVMD

Continental
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...ge/sports.aspx

Delta
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...s/index.jsp#11

JetBlue (PDF file, scroll down to page#12)
http://www.jetblue.com/p/jetblue_coc.pdf

Northwest
http://www.nwa.com/travel/luggage/sp...tems.html#fire

Southwest
http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/guns.html

United
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,1035,00.html

USAIR
http://usairways.com/awa/content/tra....aspx#firearms


Here's a Wiki list of airlines, you can visit the home page and check their policies...conversely, you could just Google the [airline name] and [firearm] and 9 times out of 10 that'll do it for ya.

Added Amtrak for good measure...
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...m2Copy&ssid=43


Both of the following from http://www.packing.org/state/florida/


Car Carry in Florida:
Date updated: Aug 27, 2005 @ 1:33 pm

790.25 (5)(5) Lawful Ownership, Possession, and Use of Firearms and Other Weapons

It is not necessary to have a license or permit to carry a loaded firearm in a private vehicle, so long as the gun is "securely encased". Florida law defines a weapon as being securely encased if the firearm is in a glove compartment, whether or not locked, in a snapped holster (not worn on your body!), in a zippered gun case or in a box or other container that requires a lid or cover to be lifted or opened in order to gain access to the firearm. These restrictions do not apply to any person who holds a valid Florida Concealed Weapon License or a reciprocal state license/permit.




Places off-limits while carrying

Date updated: Apr 30, 2007 @ 5:35 pm

THIS JUST IN - Effective October 1, 2006, Florida State Parks and National Forests in Florida are no longer off limits to concealed carry by permit holders. Effective July 1, 2006, permit holders will be able to carry concealed in Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).

790.06 (12) License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm

* Any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05
* any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station;
* any detention facility, prison, or jail;
* any courthouse; any courtroom, except that nothing in this section would preclude a judge from carrying a concealed weapon or determining who will carry a concealed weapon in his or her courtroom;
* any polling place;
* any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district;
* any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof;
* any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms;
* any school administration building;
* any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such purpose;
* any elementary or secondary school facility;
* any area vocational-technical center;
* any college or university facility unless the licensee is a registered student, employee, or faculty member of such college or university and the weapon is a stun gun or nonlethal electric weapon or device designed solely for defensive purposes and the weapon does not fire a dart or projectile;
* inside the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport, provided that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, which firearm is encased for shipment for purposes of checking such firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft; or
* any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law

Florida Statute 823.05 defines a place of nuisance as a "place which tends to annoy the community or injure the health of the community...or any house or place of prostitution, assignation, lewdness or place or building where games of chance are engaged in violation of law or any place where any law of the state is violated."
















My experiences in flying with a firearm have all been positive. I've taken as many as 3 handguns, 2 rifles and a few hundred rounds of ammo, mags and holsters and never had a problem.

[Lycanthrope]

Nineseven....

We need that as a "Sticky".

Lycangoodinfothrope

[27hand]

NineseveN,

Wish I would have talked to you first.

Thanks for posting that.

27couldhaveusedthatinfoearlierhand

[CQB]

If you all give me until tomorrow night I will get you the exact requirements for flying with a firearm (Declared in checked baggage). I will tell you this...

Firearms MUST be declared! (No matter what anyone tells you you MUST declare the firearm. Your checked baggage does get searched. If there is no declaration plan on missing the plane.) Firearms MUST be unloaded and stored in a hard sided, lockable case. Ammunition MUST be in a hard sided case in its original package OR it can be in a magazine that completely encloses the ammunition. Both cases can be stored in the same checked baggage. You DO NOT need to have them in seperate bags.


I work for DHS/TSA. No, I am not a screener. (The guys in the blue pants and white TSA shirts with the uber cool yellow badge.) I have a...different kinda job. Great post BTW NineseveN. The only thing I will add to it is this...

Not all airlines are the same, however, the rules and regulations set forth by the DHS/TSA are. (Federal)

[27hand]

CQB,

The bags at Orlando were NOT searched. When they were given to screener(TSA I believe), they were placing the bag onto the (X-ray ? ) machine belt. They were informed which bag contained gun and which had the ammo. When I saw no one was going to open my unlocked bag to check status of lockbox, I asked to lock the suitcase. They pulled the bag off and let me put a lock on the suitcase itself.

Both airlines stated the ammo had to be in separate checked bags although their individual websites were unclear on this. I interpreted the guideline as you said. They( Airtran and US Air) said otherwise. I was going to ask what had to happen if I only had one checked bag, but decided against this just to get through more quickly.

Also as I posted, one screener in PGH told me the declaration tag had to be affixed to the lockbox but the ticket counter person had me put it in the lockbox.The TSA guy had me remove the tag from the lockbox and affix it to the carry handle. He talked to me for a few minutes outlining procedure and was pleasant to talk to.

In Orlando, I was told by ticket counter person to put declaration into lockbox and since no one searched or said otherwise, there it stayed.

Thanks for your input. The reason for the post was to question the inconsistancy of each airport.

27hand

[CQB]

I'll check into it. You'll have to give me some time. I see where you're coming from though.

[27hand]

CQB,

At your convenience.

I probably won't be flying for a while.

Thanks again.

27hand

[CQB]

Alright all. This has been taken directly from CFR 49. This is the Federal regulation that governs a lot of different things for the transportation side of the house. All airports are supposed to be following this regulation. I cannot speak for those that do not but I can assure you it has been written for a reason. My advice to everyone that travels with a firearm...Declare it everytime you fly! No matter what someone behind the counter says. Unfortunately, not everyone reads what they're supposed to. All of this information can be found on the internet. None of the information that has been posted here violates any sensitive information policies governed by the TSA. The excerpts have been taken directly from the CFR. I wanted to make it as short and "to the point" as possible. I left out the rhetorical information so it is easier to read/understand. I included the LE section because there are a lot of LEOs out there that travel. Hope this helps.


EXCERPTS FROM CFR 49:
(a) On an individual's person or accessible property—prohibitions. Except as
provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an individual may not have a weapon,
explosive, or incendiary, on or about the individual's person or accessible
property—
(1) When performance has begun of the inspection of the individual's person or
accessible property before entering a sterile area, or before boarding an aircraft
for which screening is conducted under this subchapter;
(2) When the individual is entering or in a sterile area; or
(3) When the individual is attempting to board or onboard an aircraft for which
screening is conducted under §§1544.201, 1546.201, or 1562.23 of this chapter.
(b) On an individual's person or accessible property—permitted carriage of a
weapon. Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply as to carriage of firearms
and other weapons if the individual is one of the following:
(1) Law enforcement personnel required to carry a firearm or other weapons
while in the performance of law enforcement duty at the airport.
(2) An individual authorized to carry a weapon in accordance with §§1544.219,
1544.221, 1544.223, 1546.211, orsubpart B of part 1562 of this chapter.
(3) An individual authorized to carry a weapon in a sterile area under a security
program.
(c) In checked baggage. A passenger may not transport or offer for transport in
checked baggage or in baggage carried in an inaccessible cargo hold under
§1562.23 of this chapter:
(1) Any loaded firearm(s).
(2) Any unloaded firearm(s) unless—
(i) The passenger declares to the aircraft operator, either orally or in writing, before checking the baggage, that the passenger has a firearm in his or her bag and that it is unloaded;
(ii) The firearm is unloaded;
(iii) The firearm is carried in a hard-sided container; and


(iv) The container in which it is carried is locked, and only the passenger retains the key or combination.
(3) Any unauthorized explosive or incendiary.
(d) Ammunition. This section does not prohibit the carriage of ammunition in checked baggage or in the same container as a firearm. Title 49 CFR part 175 provides additional requirements governing carriage of ammunition on aircraft.
[67 FR 8353, Feb. 22, 2002, as amended at 67 FR 41639, June 19, 2002; 70 FR 41600, July 19, 2005; 71 FR 30507, May 26, 2006]
49 CFR PART 175:
(8) Small arms ammunition for personal use carried by a crewmember or passenger in checked baggage only, if securely packed in boxes or other packagings specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ammunition clips and magazines must also be securely boxed. This paragraph does not apply to persons traveling under the provisions of 49 CFR 1544.219.
CFR 49 1544.219:
§ 1544.219 Carriage of accessible weapons.
(a) Flights for which screening is conducted. The provisions of §1544.201 (d), with respect to accessible weapons, do not apply to a law enforcement officer (LEO) aboard a flight for which screening is required if the requirements of this section are met. Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to a Federal Air Marshal on duty status under §1544.223.
(1) Unless otherwise authorized by TSA, the armed LEO must meet the following requirements:
(i) Be a Federal law enforcement officer or a full-time municipal, county, or state law enforcement officer who is a direct employee of a government agency.
(ii) Be sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal statutes or immigration statutes.


(iii) Be authorized by the employing agency to have the weapon in connection with assigned duties.
(iv) Has completed the training program "Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed."
(2) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the armed
LEO must have a need to have the weapon accessible from the time he or she
would otherwise check the weapon until the time it would be claimed after
deplaning. The need to have the weapon accessible must be determined by the
employing agency, department, or service and be based on one of the following:
(i) The provision of protective duty, for instance, assigned to a principal or advance team, or on travel required to be prepared to engage in a protective function.
(ii) The conduct of a hazardous surveillance operation.
(iii) On official travel required to report to another location, armed and prepared for duty.
(iv) Employed as a Federal LEO, whether or not on official travel, and armed in accordance with an agency-wide policy governing that type of travel established by the employing agency by directive or policy statement.
(v) Control of a prisoner, in accordance with §1544.221, or an armed LEO on a round trip ticket returning from escorting, or traveling to pick up, a prisoner.
(vi) TSA Federal Air Marshal on duty status.
(3) The armed LEO must comply with the following notification requirements:
(i) All armed LEOs must notify the aircraft operator of the flight(s) on which he or she needs to have the weapon accessible at least 1 hour, or in an emergency as soon as practicable, before departure.
(ii) Identify himself or herself to the aircraft operator by presenting credentials that include a clear full-face picture, the signature of the armed LEO, and the signature of the authorizing official of the agency, service, or department or the official seal of the agency, service, or department. A badge, shield, or similar device may not be used, or accepted, as the sole means of identification.
(iii) If the armed LEO is a State, county, or municipal law enforcement officer, he or she must present an original letter of authority, signed by an authorizing official from his or her employing agency, service or department, confirming the need to travel armed and detailing the itinerary of the travel while armed.


(iv) If the armed LEO is an escort for a foreign official then this paragraph (a)(3) may be satisfied by a State Department notification.
(4) The aircraft operator must do the following:
(1) Obtain information or documentation required in paragraphs (a)(3)(ii), (iii), and
(iv) of this section.
(ii) Advise the armed LEO, before boarding, of the aircraft operator's procedures for carrying out this section.
(iii) Have the LEO confirm he/she has completed the training program "Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed" as required by ISA, unless otherwise authorized by TSA.
(iv) Ensure that the identity of the armed LEO is known to the appropriate personnel who are responsible for security during the boarding of the aircraft.
(v) Notify the pilot in command and other appropriate crewmembers, of the location of each armed LEO aboard the aircraft. Notify any other armed LEO of the location of each armed LEO, including FAM's. Under circumstances described in the security program, the aircraft operator must not close the doors until the notification is complete.
(vi) Ensure that the information required in paragraphs (a)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section is furnished to the flight crew of each additional connecting flight by the Ground Security Coordinator or other designated agent at each location.
(b) Flights for which screening is not conducted. The provisions of §1544.201 (d),
with respect to accessible weapons, do not apply to a LEO aboard a flight for
which screening is not required if the requirements of paragraphs (a)(1), (3), and
(4) of this section are met.
(c) Alcohol. (1) No aircraft operator may serve any alcoholic beverage to an
armed LEO.
(2) No armed LEO may:
(i) Consume any alcoholic beverage while aboard an aircraft operated by an aircraft operator.
(ii) Board an aircraft armed if they have consumed an alcoholic beverage within the previous 8 hours.
(d) Location of weapon. (1) Any individual traveling aboard an aircraft while
armed must at all times keep their weapon:

[Stuartsab]

sorry to dig up such an old thread but i felt this was better than a new one.

I was curious if this is actually a safe way to take your gun. I mean I've heard of so much theft from bags it worries me. I'm debating on the next time I take a trip to Mississippi what means i will use to get there. Last May i was down there and I drove 18+ hours in one day...twice... Anyway I will have my 4 year old with me next time so I am considering Flying or Train. My main question is what would be the best thing to do leave it or take it?