{"id":28539,"date":"2025-01-30T13:32:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T13:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/?p=28539"},"modified":"2025-01-30T13:38:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T13:38:21","slug":"what-happens-accidental-gun-firearm-tsa-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/news\/what-happens-accidental-gun-firearm-tsa-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Caught with a Firearm at a California Airport, Pt.2: Unintentional Possession &#038; Legal Protections"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28541\" src=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Carrying-a-Loaded-Firearm-Criminal-Attorney-San-Diego.jpg\" alt=\"Carrying a Loaded Firearm Criminal Attorney San Diego\" width=\"1000\" height=\"669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Carrying-a-Loaded-Firearm-Criminal-Attorney-San-Diego.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Carrying-a-Loaded-Firearm-Criminal-Attorney-San-Diego-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Carrying-a-Loaded-Firearm-Criminal-Attorney-San-Diego-768x514.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>In California and throughout the US, taking a firearm into airport areas where possession of a weapon is explicitly prohibited (\u201csterile areas\u201d) is a serious offense, and being caught often results in hefty fines and lengthy prison time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what if possession is purely unintentional? What if, say, you do have a concealed carry license and having your piece on you is second nature? Or, perhaps, you packed it in your suitcase, not knowing that you need a specialized case to bring it aboard the aircraft?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of the specifics, the law is still the law, and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">carrying a loaded firearm<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in prohibited areas is still a crime. As such, you will need a good <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Diego criminal attorney<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/firearms\/carrying-a-loaded-firearm\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">help prove a lack of intent and minimize the potential repercussions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Let\u2019s see why.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you conceal carry in California airport?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, no. As we indicated in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-possession-firearm-airport-california-penal-code\/\">Part 1 of this article<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the CA \u00a7171.5 PC makes it illegal to carry weapons at the airport. However, under CA \u00a7171.5(f) PC, the exceptions are made for:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Authorized or on-duty law enforcement officers (state and federal);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Federal flight deck officers;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transportation security officers (only under limited circumstances);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Military personnel (under official orders).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it doesn\u2019t constitute active \u201ccarrying\u201d, travelers can transport firearms aboard the aircraft, but only if they comply with stringent TSA and airline regulations:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The firearm must be unloaded<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and locked in a hard-sided container (such as a pelican case);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The firearm must be declared<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the airport officials at the check-in;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The firearm must be in a luggage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> compartment of the plane;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This effectively means that even individuals with a valid concealed carry weapons (CCW) permit cannot bring firearms into the sterile areas of the airport or on the plane.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the penal code 25400 in California?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&amp;sectionNum=25400.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CA \u00a725400 PC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> criminalizes any form of CCW on their person while in public, and prescribes legal penalties of up to 3 years in county jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The reason why we mentioned this is that this is a compounding offense, meaning that it can be charged alongside the CA \u00a7171.5, potentially enhancing the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What happens if you accidentally take a gun through TSA in California?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether it\u2019s LAX, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/San_Diego_International_Airport\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SAN<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or any other airport in the CA, the TSA enforces strict rules when it comes to bringing a (loaded) firearm through their checkpoints. Whether intentionally or otherwise, the most likely course of events will be:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Detention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: You will be prohibited from flying and local law enforcement agencies will be notified;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Confiscation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The TSA will seize the weapon, along with any other equipment;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: You\u2019ll be fined per the TSA Enforcement Sanctions Guidance Policy, as follows:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loaded firearms (or unloaded firearms with accessible ammunition): $3,000 &#8211; $12,210 ($12,210 &#8211; $17,062 if it\u2019s a repeat violation);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Silencers, mufflers, frames and\/or receivers: $850 &#8211; $1,700;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unloaded firearms: $1,500 &#8211; $6,130;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>\u201cCriminal referral\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In addition to the aforementioned penalties, your case will be referred to local law enforcement for further handling (in accordance with the California Penal Code).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">criminal attorney near me in San Diego<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can best help me if I\u2019m caught unintentionally <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">carrying a loaded firearm<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the airport?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contrary to popular belief, being caught with a firearm at an airport does not mean you\u2019ll automatically end up in jail or paying exorbitant fines &#8211; not if you have an adept team from Monder Criminal Lawyer Group by your side.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our specialists employ a host of proven strategies to prove your innocence in court, including proving you unknowingly brought a weapon or did so unintentionally, violation of probable cause, or that you were under duress (i.e., forced to bring a weapon under threat of harm).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We also have ample experience in other facets of criminal law, ranging from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-carjacking-definition-california-penal-code-215\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">handling charges of car hijacking<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monderlaw.com\/\/news\/what-penalty-prison-time-carjacking-california\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">minimizing related repercussions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to providing fierce advocacy in cases of domestic violence and much more. Reach out to us today and let us be your legal shield!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In California and throughout the US, taking a firearm into airport areas where possession of a weapon is explicitly prohibited (\u201csterile areas\u201d) is a serious offense, and being caught often results in hefty fines and lengthy prison time. But what if possession is purely unintentional? What if, say, you do have a concealed carry license [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Loaded Firearm at the Airport, Pt.2 | Criminal Attorney in San Diego<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What happens if you unintentionally bring a firearm through a TSA checkpoint &amp; what are your legal options? 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