TSA found a record number of firearms in carry-on bags at SeaTac in 2022. Most were loaded

A record number of firearms were discovered inside travelers’ carry-on luggage in Washington airports in 2022, according to a new report from the Transportation Security Administration. Nearly nine out of 10 guns found were loaded.

TSA officers found 164 firearms throughout the year in the Evergreen State, 113 of which were detected at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

A total of 34 guns were seized at Spokane International Airport, and 11 were found at Tri-Cities Airport in Franklin County. The number of firearms discovered at the three airports in 2022 is a record for each location.

The other Washington airports in which firearms were confiscated are Paine Field Airport (4) in Everett, Bellingham International Airport (1) and McAllister Field at the Yakima Air Terminal (1).

Every gun was found during the routine carry-on luggage screening process, according to the report. Once a firearm is detected, a law officer removes it after TSA notifies the local airport law enforcement agency, which decides how to handle the gun and the traveler.

“These statistics should serve as a reminder to every gun owner that they need to be aware of the contents of their carry-on bag prior to coming to the security checkpoint,” Washington TSA federal security director Gregory Hawko stated in the news release. “Firearms have never been allowed in the cabin of the aircraft, and there is no acceptable excuse for bringing a gun in your carry-on.”

Officers found 6,542 guns across 262 airports nationwide in 2022. The record marks a rising trend in firearm detections at airports both nationwide and in Washington.

Aside from a dip in 2020 due to low travel volume during the COVID-19 pandemic, gun detection numbers have risen yearly since 2018, from 4,239 in 2018 to 6,542 this past year.

The 10 airports with the highest confiscation of guns from carry-on baggage for 2022 are as follows:

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia — 448

2. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas — 385

3. George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas — 298

4. Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee — 213

5. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona — 196

6. Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida — not specified

7. Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado — 156

8. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas — 150

9. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — not specified

10. Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida — not specified

Despite its record number of gun seizures overall, Washington state wasn’t included in the top 10.

Is it legal to transport a gun on a plane?

A firearm can only be taken on a commercial flight if it’s unloaded, contained in a locked and hard-sided case, and inside a checked bag, according to the TSA. Replica firearms must also be in checked luggage.

In addition, a passenger has to make it known during the check-in process at the airline ticket counter that their luggage contains a firearm, ammunition, or firearm parts like magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins. Rifle scopes are allowed in both carry-on and checked bags, and the TSA doesn’t distinguish whether a traveler must make it known to security staff or not.

What happens if you try to sneak a gun on a plane?

Even if a traveler has a concealed weapons permit, they’re not allowed to store weapons in their carry-on luggage.

The punishment for trying to sneak a firearm through a TSA check is more than just potential criminal citations. Travelers can also face civil penalties, including disqualification from having Trusted Traveler status and revocation of TSA PreCheck expedited screening benefits. The TSA doesn’t state if passengers will be banned from any future flights if they’re caught carrying a gun at a security checkpoint.

Any weapon detected in carry-ons are turned over to local law enforcement authorities. Federal law prohibits the gun from being returned to the owner.

Travelers should also be aware that taking an unloaded gun with accessible ammunition to a security checkpoint has the same civil penalty and fine as carrying a loaded gun to the checkpoint. A person can be fined anywhere from $3,000 to $10,700 and receive a criminal referral for committing this violation. Repeat offenders can pay anywhere from $10,700 to $14,950 on top of a criminal referral.

The TSA evaluates each firearm on a case-by-case basis and decides on the punishment based on several factors, including whether the gun was loaded and whether there was accessible ammunition.