Adam Kraut’s The Legal Brief has become my go-to referral source for the myriad of questions that you, dear readers, send my directly. Adam, outside of being on various gun podcasts, being an attorney by day, running for the NRA board, and finding time to not cut his hair, records a fantastic YouTube show focusing on the major legal questions on firearms.

Oxymoronically dressed to the nines with a haircut in the… threes, he tackles the federal rules surrounding flying with firearms in civilian transport. So long as one follows four rules, its easy to transport a firearm:

1. The passenger must declare to the aircraft operator, either verbally or in writing, before checking their baggage that the passenger has a firearm and that it is unloaded.
2. The firearm must actually be unloaded.
3. The firearm must be in a hardside container.
4. The container in which the firearm is carried must be locked and only the passenger retains the key or combination*

*In my experience, best to fly with TSA locks. If they have to cut yours off, they may not send the firearm on as it is no longer “locked”.

Further, ammunition may also be transported per federal law (though the carrier may have more restrictions such as the weight of ammo carried) so long as it is not in the same container as the firearm. Ammo is not required to in a hard case, but must be in packaging sufficient for its safe transportation.

For details or to request new Legal Briefs check out the video below and leave a comment on the video!