Travel from BWI to Fla with checked baggage with firearm

**Ric** · October 9th, 2016, 05:54 PM

Has anyone recently traveled from BWI with a fire arm in your checked bag, Any problems with MD state police or TSA?

**sgmwatkins** · October 10th, 2016, 09:00 AM

Ric,

I am pretty sure you can't do that. MD is a very gun unfriendly state...

**American1776** · October 10th, 2016, 09:09 AM

Unless you have a Maryland license to carry, having a firearm in your checked luggage at BWI will be illegal. I have read from multiple sources that in NY, anytime a traveler declares a pistol in checked luggage, and that person doesn't have a NY license to carry, the police are called, and the instant the traveler takes possession of his luggage, he's arrested.

Don't possess a gun while in NY, MD, NJ, CA, MA, or HI.

**velocibadgery** · October 10th, 2016, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by American1776

Unless you have a Maryland license to carry, having a firearm in your checked luggage at BWI will be illegal. I have read from multiple sources that in NY, anytime a traveler declares a pistol in checked luggage, and that person doesn't have a NY license to carry, the police are called, and the instant the traveler takes possession of his luggage, he's arrested.

Don't possess a gun while in NY, MD, NJ, CA, MA, or HI.

Shouldnt the interstate travel laws protect you on airplanes as well? And if it doesnt, it should.

**Sgt.K** · October 10th, 2016, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by velocibadgery

Shouldnt the interstate travel laws protect you on airplanes as well? And if it doesnt, it should.

It should.

As written, it does.

However:

The 3rd Circuit (if memory serves) ruled that once you step out of your car you are no longer travelling, therefore FOPA no longer covers you. Apparently, per that ruling, you must transit the state in a single unbroken pass, in a single mode of transportation.

**danhr** · October 10th, 2016, 08:05 PM

I just traveled to Chicago and Milwaukee with a pistol and about a hundred rounds of defensive ammo. They did not once check my LTCF at any of the airport's. To be honest, it was a lot less of a hassle than I planned on it being.

Hell, they never once even looked at the actual firearm. They just saw the case with the pistol in it and asked "is the firearm in there? Is it locked? Do you have the key?"

They didn't even ask me to open it

**Sgt.K** · October 10th, 2016, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by danhr

I just traveled to Chicago and Milwaukee with a pistol and about a hundred rounds of defensive ammo. They did not once check my LTCF at any of the airport's. To be honest, it was a lot less of a hassle than I planned on it being.

Hell, they never once even looked at the actual firearm. They just saw the case with the pistol in it and asked "is the firearm in there? Is it locked? Do you have the key?"

They didn't even ask me to open it

Illinois and Wisconsin are Shall Issue. NY, MD, NJ, CA, MA, or HI not so much...

**Jhaydeno** · October 11th, 2016, 07:09 AM

I've travelled via BWI with handguns multiple times in the past without issue. As noted above, it should be legal under Federal interstate travel rules, but there has been a circuit court rulings that should have been taken up the he food chain to get reversed.

I walk directly to the counter, look for a female with a southern or Midwest accent (no liberal pajama boy types), and quietly and nonchalantly say, 'I need to declare a firearm, it's unloaded and ready to be checked'. Only when she hands you the paperwork or you pull out the signed declaration that it's empty should you pull the case out of your bag. Have the locks, cable, etc ready to roll. Keep it low key and keep things out of sight until required.