Legal to ccw at airport in FL.?

[megatronrules]

I've read this here I believe a while back and want to know if its true. I read that I can legally carry my concealed handgun into the airport in the state of florida,as long as I don't try to go into any secure areas i.e. don't try to go through the metal detectors or borading areas (as this is just common sense) Basicly I take this to mean as long as I wait in the lobby I should be cool?

I have a friend coming over in augest and will be picking him up at the airport,and I just wanted to check on this. FWIW I always keep my gun completely concealed so there is no chance of it being seen by anyone. If it is not legal to do I will just leave it locked in my car but wanted to check if it was true at least. Thanks for any help.

 

[vertigo7]

Check the Florida section of packing.org.

Places off-limits while carrying:

Inside the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport, provided that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, which firearm is encased for shipment for purposes of checking such firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft;

Seems to me as long as you're in the lobby area and do not attempt to go through the security gate to the terminals, it should be fine.

My legal advice is subject to independant confirmation. I'm not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[GregoryTech]

Inside the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport, provided that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, which firearm is encased for shipment for purposes of checking such firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft;

You may be right, but to me it looks more like anywhere inside the building is off-limits.

 

[GSB]

My CCW class backed up vertigo's post, but I agree that the phrasing is ambiguous. I think that "passenger terminal" is referring to anything past the security checkpoint, and that "sterile area" is referring to other secure parts of the airport that would not be considered part of the passenger terminal (for instance, I imagine that baggage handlers and pre-flight prep crews cannot carry for security/terrorism reasons).

Anyone work at an airport who can parse the verbiage?

 

[GregoryTech]

Upon closer inspection:

Inside the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport, provided that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, which firearm is encased for shipment for purposes of checking such firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft;

It sounds like terminal means any portion of the building. Why else is that clarification and exception needed, because baggage check is outside the security checkpoint.

But, I'm also interested in hearing from anyone who knows for sure.

 

[TarpleyG]

I read a post about this a while back and the same confusion was apparent. I took it to mean no. Better to be safe than sorry.

GT

 

[Hkmp5sd]

It has been my understanding, and I have also in fact done so, that it is legal to carry your CCW anywhere in the airport that is outside the security perimeter. Basically, you cannot try to go through the inspection points with your gun.

 

[publius]

I've just spent some time reviewing chapters 5 and 6 of Jon Gutmacher's Florida Firearms Law, Use & Ownership (see www.floridafirearmslaw.com). About all I learned was that the passenger terminal and the sterile area are not the same.

Choice quotations:

"However, there is an exception for anyone who is a passenger, is in the terminal (but not the sterile area), and is carrying a firearm for shipment as baggage on an airline when that firearm is already unloaded, and encased in a locked container."

Don't know where he got the idea that you must be a passenger. Maybe because you'd have to be in order to be carrying something as baggage.

If you don't remember what the sterile area is, it's the area from the X-Ray machine or security checkpoint, on. It's the portion of the passenger terminal usually reserved for the arrival and departure of passengers on scheduled flights.

OK, so they're not the same place.

And from the section on carrying on private aircraft:

It says that you can, with permission of the pilot and a "reasonable" amount of ammo. However....

...if you land at an airport, you are still subject to the rule about not having any ammunition, firearms, or weapons in the passenger "sterile area", and not having any firearm in the passenger terminal unless it is unloaded, and in a secured container.

Well, that's all about as clear as mud. Just carry your damn gun and don't worry about what your rulers might think.

 

[ballistic gelatin]

I was trying to decifer some state law awhile back so I called someone from that division (Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission). The girl on the phone told me that they wrote the law in a "vague" fashion so the officer could interpret it the way he saw fit.