Can Police Officers Carry Guns on Planes? FBI Agents? Other LEOs?

This post should once and for all answer these emailed questions:

Can cops carry guns on planes?
Can police officers fly armed?
Can Federal Agents carry weapons on planes?
Can law enforcement officers carry guns on airplanes?
Can FBI Special Agents carry guns on planes?

Ever since 9/11 the public has been made aware that on some flights a Federal Air Marshal (a.k.a. FAM) may be present and armed. But, more and more people are wondering if police officers can carry guns on planes – the same law enforcement officers that hail from Local, County, Tribal, State, and Federal agencies.

The short answer is: Yes, but there’s a “BUT”…

To get to the root of all this speculation I got in touch with a very helpful gentleman who works directly with the Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed (LEOFA) program, under the oversight of The Office of Law Enforcement / Federal Air Marshal Service. Hopefully his input will help answer some of your questions.

Some Cool Facts About Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed

Most commonly, police officers carry guns on planes to facilitate prisoner transport, dignitary protection and other official police business.
There are 90+ Federal Law Enforcement Agencies flying armed at one point or another.
On average, 38,500 law enforcement officers are flying armed per month through approximately 450 federalized airports.

When you first look at this number, you sense that it is an awful lot. In reality, there are over 850,000 law enforcement officers in over 18,000 departments, including Federal, Military, State, County, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and authorized Railroad LEOs – when you do the math, only about 4.53% of all law enforcement officers fly armed.
Of those flying armed, approximately

70% are Federal law enforcement officers
30% are State, Local, Territorial, Tribal and Railroad law enforcement officers

* These statistics are only kept for flights to which screening is mandated (per 49 CFR 1544.219). If an officer is flying armed on a general aviation aircraft they would not be tracked (like the USM ConAir flights).

Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed Program in a Nutshell

The Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service maintains oversight of the Law Enforcement Officers flying armed program under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) § 1544.219 Carriage of Accessible Weapons.

To qualify to fly armed, Federal Regulation states that an officer must meet the following basic requirements:

Be a Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) or a full-time municipal, county, or state LEO who is a direct employee of a government agency.
Be sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal statutes or immigration statutes.
Be authorized by the employing agency to have the weapon in connection with assigned duties.
Have completed the training program, ‘‘Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed.”

In addition to the above requirements, the officer must need to have the weapon accessible from the time he or she would otherwise check the weapon until the time it would be claimed after deplaning. The need to have the weapon accessible must be determined by the employing agency, department, or service and be based on one of the following:

The provision of protective duty, for instance, assigned to a principal or advance team, or on travel required to be prepared to engage in a protective function.
The conduct of a hazardous surveillance operation.
On official travel required to report to another location, armed and prepared for duty.
Employed as a Federal LEO, whether or not on official travel, and armed in accordance with an agency-wide policy governing that type of travel established by the employing agency by directive or policy statement.
Control of a prisoner, in accordance with Title 49 CFR § 1544.221, or an armed LEO on a round trip ticket returning from escorting, or traveling to pick up a prisoner.

State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and approved Railroad LEOs flying armed must submit a National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) message prior to travel. The NLETS message replaces the Original Letter of Authority, commonly referred to as the “Chief’s Letter.” Failure to use the NLETS message will result in denial to the sterile area for failure to comply with the “Letter of Authority.” More information on this procedure is contained in the training program.

The Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed training is a 1.5 to 2 hour block of instruction that is comprised of a structured lesson plan, slide presentation, FAQs, NLETS procedures, and applicable codes of federal regulation. This material is provided to Federal, State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and approved Railroad Law Enforcement agencies and departments to properly instruct their officers on the subject of flying on board commercial aircraft while armed. The training includes protocols in the handling of prohibited items, prisoner transport, and dealing with an act of criminal violence aboard an aircraft.

Transporting Guns on Planes Resources:

Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed (LEOFA) Program: http://www.tsa.gov/lawenforcement/programs/traveling_with_guns.shtm

TSA’s Traveling with Special Items, Firearms and Ammunition Guide: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Monica Mojica February 18, 2012 at 8:26 am: I say absolutely yes. The more security we can have on planes, the better. I would feel more secure and confident in flying knowing I have a tab bit more protection.