Airport Question

[kis2]

traveling with a handgun in checked bags. i called the airline to double check policy and they said "in a locked case, ammo in a seperate container, and paperwork" when i asked what paperwork they said " permit type"... and thats all she knew.

so for anyone that has ever checked a handgun, i was curious what paperwork they asked you for. something with my name and the serial number on it?

thanks for the help

 

[TexasRifleman]

so for anyone that has ever checked a handgun, i was curious what paperwork they asked you for. something with my name and the serial number on it?

What state ?

From a Federal standpoint you don't have to have any paperwork accompanying the gun except the declaration form that the ticket agent will give you when you check the bag.

That form doesn't have any description of the gun, just proves that you informed the airline the gun was there.

So, unless your state has some odd permit requirement, whoever you talked to doesn't really know their stuff.

That's pretty common, those people don't run into firearms every day. Best thing to do is read the airlines rules on their website, maybe even take a printed copy with you in case you run into someone like this.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Yeah, what he said. Unless you are in a state where a permit is required to possess a handgun, such as New York, there is no permit required.

This does become an issue when a person flies into New York with their handgun from a free state and then tries to check the handgun and leave from New York.

 

[xmanpike]

I checked one from Chicago to Houston. I had it in a locked case with no ammo. Brought it to the Counter they gave me a declaration form and then I was asked to go to a special checking area, where I gave it to the agent and he ran it through the scanner. Good to go.

 

[Nickjc]

where a permit is required to possess a handgun, such as New York, there is no permit required.

Do not fly INTO NY and/or NJ metro areas and take posession of your luggage and expect to recheck it again...

Wasn't there a case where a fellow did this at JFK and was arrested....???

 

[mgkdrgn]

Do not fly INTO NY and/or NJ metro areas and take posession of your luggage and expect to recheck it again...

Wasn't there a case where a fellow did this at JFK and was arrested....???

yep

when you are in their state, you are under their rules, even at the airport

 

[dirt_j00]

Would help if we knew what states you are going to/from...

 

[NavyLCDR]

when you are in their state, you are under their rules, even at the airport

Which, I believe, the Supreme Court has ruled that FOPA applies to travelers in interstate travel by airline as well as highway, but nobody has come up with the resources yet to fight New York's unconstitutional actions.

 

[Mags]

Why would an airport be any different than the roads? You can travel through NY if your destination does not have such restrictions such as driving through NY to go to PA.

 

[rscalzo]

Wasn't there a case where a fellow did this at JFK and was arrested....???

No, it was at Newark , NJ (Liberty International). The last I heard, the charges were dropped a few days later.

 

[largecaliber]

I worked at an airport as an armed security officer for three years. I left that job two years ago but I don't believe the policy has changed. The problem is simply that you can talk to three different people and possibly get three different answers. You need no paperwork to place your handgun in checked luggage. It needs to be unloaded, in a hard side (can be hard plastic) lockable case but do not lock it until TSA has checked it out. Also, the ammo. can be in the same case with the gun as long as it is in the factory ammo. boxes. When at the airport I dealt with this on sometimes a daily basis and most of the indivuiduals working behind the counter never seem to get it right.

 

[kis2]

thanks guys for the help despite my vagueness. i'm going from nevada (free state) to south dakota (VERY free state) so it sounds like it shouldnt be an issue. i'll make sure to print off their policy from the website

 

[NavyLCDR]

This is interesting. Anybody flying in New York or New Jersey should carry this:
http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/doj_doc_nyc_air.pdf

IMHO.

 

[ArizonaTRex]

I have traveled several times from Arizona to Texas and Georiga over the past two years. I have never been asked for any paperwork. I do carry a copy of the TSA and the Airlines regulations. Never had a problem. Some airports you have to carry the luggage over to a TSA agent to be inspected (Dallas & Atlanta) or the ticket agent will verify it is unloaded. Everytime it was a ho hum yawn reaction from the airport personnel. Unless the person on the phone you spoke to actually works the ticket counter they may not really know the Airlines' rules!
It took several trips for me to get over being nervous and worried about how the airport personnel would react.

But I did learn one thing from a TSA agent in Atlanta-if your firearm is in soft luggage and going thru the "special" luggage then everyone "knows" it has a firearm. He showed me how easy it was to pop the plastc zipper (padlocked!) reach in remove stuff and then zip it closed so you couldn't even tell it had been opened! He recommended a hard case-can't pop those latches without breaking them and everyone can see it was damaged-thieves prefer to be sneaky. I did not want a new suitcase so here is what I do. My hard sided pistol case (looks like a small suit case) has two handles that fit together. My soft sided luggage has a retracable handle so two metal "frames" run from top to bottom. After I lock the firearms case latches, I take the cable lock that came with my pistol loop it under the frame, thru the cases handles to secure the case to the luggage. Even if some one pops the zipper, breaks the latches on the case they still can't open it unless they break the one of the handles also to get to the fiream. Yes it can be stolen, still it won't be quick or easy or quiet-unless they take the whole bag...

 

[Poprivit]

Traveling with handguns

I've taken a S&W 500 Magnum to Zimbabwe through South Africa. Went from Reno to Atlanta, baggage checked to Johannesburg South Africa. Got all my Africa papers in order before I left. The only problem I encountered was returning through Atlanta when the customs duck couldn't figure out how to open the cylinder to check serial numbers.

Lots of fun there.

"Here, I'll show you how to open the gun."

"Don't touch the gun!"

Repeat as necessary for five minutes. Finally he let me open the cylinder. V. red faced. I always stayed calm. Most agent know less than a gerbil about firearms.

Went from Reno to Kansas City with my SS .45. Did as others have described. Brought my own lock.

Absolutely zero problems.

 

[rscalzo]

The problem is simply that you can talk to three different people and possibly get three different answers.

That is the result of the fact the airline sets their policies regarding the transport of a firearm.