Double check before the checkpoint

Plan ahead and pack properly to help ease your travel experience. 

Carry-on bags

It should come as no surprise that firearms are prohibited in carry-on bags. Yet the TSA still discovers them from time to time. Unfortunately, it's part of a nationwide trend of increasing numbers of firearms being discovered in carry-on luggage. Check out the TSA's latest fact sheet on packing firearms and ammunition to be sure you're prepared for the checkpoint.

To help discourage this habit, Columbus City Council passed an ordinance in 2020 recognizing checkpoints as secure areas, so that a person who attempts to bring a weapon through a screening checkpoint may be charged with reckless trespass, a second-degree misdemeanor. The new code also allows for a weapon carried by the trespasser to be seized by law enforcement. 

Pack smart; start with empty bags. Those airline passengers who begin packing for travel with empty bags are less likely to bring prohibited items through a TSA checkpoint. Technology and modifications help reduce the need for physical contact with TSA officers, but those who take time to come prepared for the TSA checkpoint are far more likely to avoid physical contact. Check for prohibited items by using the "What Can I Bring?" page on TSA.gov.

Checked bags

Traveling with Firearms. Unloaded firearms may be transported in a locked, hard-sided container in checked baggage only. Declare the firearm and/or ammunition to the airline when checking your bag at the ticket counter. The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. Be aware that the container the firearm was in when purchased may not adequately secure the firearm when it is transported in checked baggage.