ARLINGTON, Va. — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport have tied an unsettling milestone: 39 firearms have been intercepted at airport checkpoints in 2024, equaling the record set in previous years. With several weeks remaining in the year, the next firearm confiscated will set a new annual record.
The latest seizure occurred on Monday, when a loaded handgun with seven bullets was discovered in a West Virginia woman’s carry-on bag. TSA officers at the checkpoint alerted Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police, who confiscated the weapon and issued a citation. The woman, a resident of Falling Waters, West Virginia, also faces a federal civil penalty, which can reach up to $15,000 for carrying a firearm to a TSA checkpoint.
“We would much rather see fewer travelers bringing their guns to our checkpoints,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director at Reagan National. “The next firearm our officers intercept will set a record, and this is certainly not the type of record we want to set.”
Busch reminded travelers that firearms can only be transported in checked baggage if properly stored. Guns must be unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case, and declared at the airline check-in counter, where they are then placed in the cargo hold, inaccessible to passengers during the flight.
The number of firearms intercepted at Reagan National has surged in recent years. In 2018 and 2019, TSA officers found 16 and 14 guns, respectively. The numbers dipped to 10 in 2020, but rebounded to 30 in 2021, 29 in 2022, and a record-tying 39 in both 2023 and 2024 (as of December 9).
Travelers found with firearms face severe consequences, including fines that can reach thousands of dollars, depending on the circumstances. Those enrolled in TSA PreCheck will lose their expedited screening privileges, and concealed carry permits do not exempt passengers from these rules. TSA urges all travelers to double-check their bags before heading to the airport to avoid prohibited items.
For more information on traveling with firearms and prohibited items, visit TSA’s website.