What happens if TSA finds a gun?

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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Most TSA employees are TSO's who do not have arrest powers and do not carry weapons of any kind, including guns. However, there are some individuals under the TSA such as Federal Air Marshals who do have law enforcement powers and are allowed to carry guns through the airport and even on planes.

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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). Of the guns caught in 2022, approximately 88 percent were loaded.

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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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TSA officers are not law enforcement. This means that if they find something on your person or in your bags, they cannot arrest you. They can simply detain you until a law enforcement officer arrives.

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So what are the odds that a TSA employee will steal something from your bag? In the last decade, fewer than 500 out of the TSA's 150,000 employees have been arrested on suspicion of theft, Melendez said. That's about 0.3 % -- a pretty small number, though I suppose some might argue that it should be closer to zero.

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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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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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In addition, as an FBI agent, you're unable to share information with those who don't have clearance. This means, for example, that when you're in the FBI you can't discuss the details of a case with your spouse or family.

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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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Most TSA officers are not commissioned law enforcement officers, and their role is to conduct screening of passengers, baggage and cargo. TSA screeners can search you and your baggage at screening checkpoints, but they cannot arrest you. Other law enforcement officers, such as airport police, are present at airports.

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