The state of Louisiana is preparing to pass a new law that will allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit within the state. TSA at local airports wants to get ahead of this new legislation to avoid issues during the summer months. In the process, they’ve offered a few tips for travelers from all over the country. Some of these can help you avoid trouble as you pass through security checkpoints.
When it comes to airports, the most important thing to remember is that they are federal property. Therefore, federal laws dictate how certain situations are handled. This is very relevant when it comes to firearms. People can carry a weapon as part of their luggage during a flight. However, the gun has to be unloaded, placed in a locked hard-sided case, and within checked baggage. The owner of the weapon is also responsible for declaring to the airline that they are, in fact, carrying it.
This is where things can be dicey, particularly for those flying out of Louisiana or even driving out of state. The fact that they’re able to get through a security checkpoint at a local airport within that state with their existing paperwork doesn’t mean that they won’t be detained at their new destination. It’s up to the travelers to decipher the local gun laws where they’re traveling.
A spokesperson for the TSA said in a recent interview about this situation,
“If you bring your firearm into a TSA checkpoint, you will face a fine that can reach $15,000 dollars, and you will lose your TSA pre-check privileges. We also immediately will partner with the sheriff’s office, who takes control of that weapon; the sheriff will decide whether you face any criminal consequences.”
Apart from carrying firearms, there are other elements that people should avoid taking with them on their next vacation. If they do, it’s best to put them in their checked bags. In the same interview, the TSA spokesperson mentioned the golden rule when deciding what to take in a carry-on bag. If you wouldn’t want the person sitting next to you to have that item close by, then maybe you shouldn’t be taking it with you, either.
Suppose that you find a set of silverware with premium steak knives at your travel destination. Naturally, you make the purchase, and you want to take the items back home. All of those will be much safer in your checked luggage and in their original casing. That’s one of the best ways to avoid issues when going through checkpoints.
There’s one final piece of advice that applies to everyone who’s going to be traveling in the coming months: put the items that you remove from your pockets or your wrists or whatever it may be within your carry-on bag as you go through the checkpoints. A lot of people put their rings or anything they remove in the tray, only to end up leaving these valuable possessions in the trays. To avoid that, put anything that the TSA is asking you to remove within your carry-on bag and not directly in the tray. Unless, of course, these are things like laptops and shoes that are required to go in the trays.