How many weapons get through TSA a year?

Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,542 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2022. It was a significant increase from the 5,972 detected in 2021 and a spike from the 4,432 detected in 2019 (pre pandemic).



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Nationwide last year, TSA officers found 6,542 firearms at 262 different airports. “TSA officers at SMF in 2022 broke a record for the number of firearms discovered in travelers' carry-on luggage at the security checkpoint, exceeding 2021 levels by a one firearm.

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Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint also face a federal financial civil penalty. Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide.

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But in the world of government airport security, missing 70% is apparently an improvement over a similar test two years earlier, when the “hi-tech” equipment and the people manning it failed to detect fake weapons 95% of the time.

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A record 6,542 guns — 18 a day — were intercepted at U.S. airport security in 2022. A television displays a no guns sign at the Transportation Security Administration security area at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday, Jan.

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According to TSA, agents find one firearm for roughly every 116,394 passengers screened at security checkpoints.

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Being found in possession of a firearm by the TSA will result in fines as well as a referral to local enforcement agencies for further investigation.

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TSA confiscated record number of guns from airline passengers in 2022
  • Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: 448.
  • Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: 385.
  • George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston: 298.
  • Nashville International Airport: 213.
  • Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix: 196.


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How long does my TSA PreCheck® membership last? TSA PreCheck® memberships last five years. I am no longer receiving TSA PreCheck® on my boarding pass.

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Visible Intermodal Protection and Response (VIPR)
Officers enrolled in this program are part of the TSA's Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service, which allows some of them to have arrest powers and to carry weapons.

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However, threatening, hitting, disobeying, or interfering with an airport screener (a TSA, or Transportation Security Administration employee) violates federal law and can result in imprisonment and fines.

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Lock your gun case before you and the counter agent take it to be checked by TSA. Stay in the immediate area. If TSA needs the case opened for some reason or has questions, you must be present. At most airports you can stand in an area that provides you with a visual of the space where TSA checks special baggage.

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There hasn't been a successful attack against commercial aviation in the U.S. in the 20 years since 9/11, and outside experts agree that while there is still room for improvement, the TSA has been effective in preventing another terrorist attack.

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Dangerous job
TSA officers are on the front line defending the nation against terrorism every day. As a result, they are exposed to all kinds of danger: terrorists, explosives, disgruntled travelers who either verbally abuse the officers or even physically attack them.

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The results of the tests showed that the TSA screeners failed to detect weapons, drugs, and explosives almost 80 percent of the time. While the exact failure rate is classified, multiple sources indicate it is greater than 70 percent.

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