Keith Mack
Law enforcement officers are permitted to fly while armed, but they must meet certain federal qualifications. These include being a federal law enforcement officer or a full-time government employee at the municipal, county, state, tribal or territorial level. Officers must also be sworn in and commissioned to enforce criminal or immigration statutes and must complete a training course. Additionally, they must demonstrate an operational need to have their weapon accessible during the flight. On average, around 38,500 law enforcement officers fly while armed each month, though this only accounts for flights with mandated screening.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of law enforcement officers flying armed per month | 38,500 |
| Number of airports with federal oversight | 450 |
| Percentage of all law enforcement officers flying armed | 4.53% |
| Number of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies flying armed | 90+ |
| Training course provider | TSA Law Enforcement Officer Flying Armed Training Course |
| Training course provider | Federal Air Marshal Service |
| Training course duration | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Training course content | Structured lesson plan, slide presentation, FAQs, NLETS procedures, and applicable codes of federal regulation |
| Training course contact email | [email protected] |
| Training course contact phone number | (855) FLY-LEOS |
| Training course qualification standards | Full-time law enforcement officer |
| Training course qualification standards | Instructor qualification standards of their agency |
| Training course request requirements | Government email |
| Training course request requirements | Fillable form |
| Training course request requirements | All required information |
| Pre-travel submission | National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System message |
| Pre-travel submission time | 24 hours prior to travel |
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What You'll Learn
Federal Law Enforcement Officers
In addition to meeting these requirements, federal law enforcement officers must complete the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Flying Armed Training Course. This training is provided by the Federal Air Marshal Service, and failure to complete it will prevent an officer from flying armed. The training material can be obtained by emailing the Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (OLE/FAMS) at [email protected].
Municipal, county, state, tribal, and territorial officers must also present an operational need to have their weapon accessible at all times during travel. This need must be determined by the employing agency and based on specific criteria, such as being assigned to a protective duty.
It is important to note that retired law enforcement officers are not permitted to fly armed, even if they are generally permitted to carry a weapon under HR 218. They must declare their unloaded weapon, locked in a gun case inside checked luggage, to the airline during check-in.
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Municipal, County, State, Tribal or Territorial LEOs
To fly armed, municipal, county, state, tribal or territorial LEOs must complete the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Flying Armed Training Course. They must present an operational need to have the weapon accessible from the time they would otherwise check it, until the time it would be claimed after deplaning. The need to have the weapon accessible must be determined by the employing agency and based on assigned protective duty, or travel requirements.
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, or the "Chief's Letter". Failure to use the NLETS message will result in denial to the sterile area.
The Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed training is a 1.5 to 2-hour block of instruction, comprised of a lesson plan, slide presentation, FAQs, NLETS procedures, and applicable codes of federal regulation. This training material is provided to the relevant agencies and departments to instruct their officers on flying armed on commercial aircraft.
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Training Requirements
To fly armed, law enforcement officers must meet several federal qualifications and complete the necessary training. The TSA Law Enforcement Officer Flying Armed Training Course is provided by the Federal Air Marshal Service, with program training material available via email. Training is mandatory, and failure to complete it will prevent an officer from flying armed.
The training material can be requested by a single instructor/point-of-contact from within the employing agency. This individual must be a full-time law enforcement officer who meets the instructor qualification standards of their agency. They must submit a request using a government email address and complete all the required information on the fillable form provided.
In addition to the training requirements, law enforcement officers must meet other federal qualifications to fly armed. These include being a federal law enforcement officer or a full-time government employee at the municipal, county, state, tribal, or territorial level. Officers must also be sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal or immigration statutes and be authorized by their employing agency to carry a weapon in connection with their assigned duties.
Municipal, county, state, tribal, and territorial officers must also demonstrate an operational need to have their weapon accessible for the duration of their journey. This need must be determined by the employing agency and could include protective duties, hazardous surveillance operations, immediate reporting to duty upon landing, or the control of a prisoner.
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Declaration of Weapons
Law enforcement officers must meet all federal qualifications to fly armed, unless otherwise authorized by the TSA. To fly armed, a law enforcement officer must be a federal law enforcement officer or a full-time municipal, county, state, tribal, or territorial law enforcement officer who is a direct government agency employee. They must be sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal or immigration statutes and be authorized by their employing agency to have the weapon in connection with their assigned duties.
The employing agency must determine the need to have the weapon accessible aboard the aircraft, and this must be based on one of the following:
- Assigned to a protective duty as a principal or advance team
- On travel requiring the weapon to be accessible
Additionally, the officer must have completed the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Flying Armed Training Course. Municipal, county, state, tribal, and territorial officers must submit a National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System message at least 24 hours before travel. All armed LEOs must notify the aircraft operator of the flight(s) on which they need to have the weapon accessible at least 1 hour before departure, or as soon as practicable in an emergency. They must identify themselves to the aircraft operator by presenting credentials that include a clear full-face picture, their signature, and the signature of the authorizing official of their agency, service, or department.
If the armed LEO is a state, county, or municipal law enforcement officer, they must present an original letter of authority, signed by an authorizing official from their employing agency, confirming the need to travel armed and detailing their itinerary.
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Accessible Weapons
Law enforcement officers are permitted to fly while armed, but they must meet certain federal qualifications and complete specific training. The Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed Training Course is provided by the TSA and is 1.5 to 2 hours long. It covers a range of topics, including instruction, a lesson plan, a slide presentation, FAQs, NLETS procedures, and applicable codes of federal regulation.
To qualify to fly armed, an officer must be a federal law enforcement officer or a full-time municipal, county, state, territorial, or tribal law enforcement officer who is a direct government agency employee. They must also be sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal or immigration statutes and be authorised by their employing agency to have the weapon in connection with their assigned duties.
Additionally, the employing agency must determine the need for the weapon to be accessible from the time the officer checks in until they claim it after deplaning. This need for accessibility is typically based on the officer's assigned duties, such as protective duty, prisoner transport, or dignitary protection.
It is important to note that retired law enforcement officers are not permitted to fly armed. They must place their unloaded weapon in a locked gun case inside their checked luggage and declare it to the airline during check-in.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, law enforcement officers can fly while armed.
To fly armed, law enforcement officers must meet all federal qualifications, including being sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal or immigration statutes. They must also complete the necessary training and be authorised by their employing agency to have the weapon in connection with their assigned duties.
State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and approved Railroad LEOs flying armed must submit a National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) message at least 24 hours prior to travel. The employing agency must also determine the need to have the weapon accessible onboard the aircraft.
No, retired law enforcement officers are excluded from flying armed. They must place their unloaded weapon inside a locked gun case and place it inside checked luggage.
