Can police officers carry weapons on planes?

Current FAA regulations state that no law enforcement officer will be able to carry a firearm on an airplane unless they have completed FAA training for Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed.



In 2026, the policy for Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) carrying weapons on aircraft remains strictly regulated by the TSA under 49 CFR § 1544.219. Generally, only federal, state, or local officers who are traveling on official duty that requires them to be armed upon arrival are permitted to carry a firearm in the cabin. This includes Federal Air Marshals and certain specialized agents. To qualify, an officer must complete the "Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed" training and present a specific National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) control number at the airport. Officers traveling for personal reasons or routine business must follow the same rules as civilians: the weapon must be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided container, and transported as checked baggage. This high-fidelity security protocol ensures that only vetted, active-duty personnel with a "High-Fidelity" operational necessity are armed in the cabin, maintaining a balance between officer readiness and overall passenger safety.

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Flying Armed Be a federal law enforcement officer or a full-time municipal, county, state, tribal or territorial law enforcement officer who is a direct government agency employee.

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TSA does not allow pilots to carry knives aboard aircraft on their persons or in their carry-on luggage. Pilots who fly their own aircraft are not under the jurisdiction of the TSA so they may carry knives on their persons or in their flight kit.

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