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Transporting Handgun on Amtrak


Molly B.

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Checked in baggage like in an airplane.

 

Da Rulz:

 

Effective December 15, 2010, Amtrak will accept reservations of firearms and ammunition for carriage between Amtrak stations and on Amtrak trains within the United States that offer checked baggage service. Thruway Bus Services will not be included in this service change. The following policies are in effect:

Notification that the passenger will be checking firearms/ammunition must be made no later than 24 hours before train departure by calling Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL. Online reservations for firearms/ammunition are not accepted.

The passengers must travel on the same train that is transporting the checked firearms and/or ammunition.

All firearms and/or ammunition must be checked at least 30 minutes prior to scheduled train departure. Some larger stations require that baggage be checked earlier. Please contact your departure station for more details.

All firearms (rifles, shotguns, handguns, starter pistols) must be unloaded and in an approved, locked hard-sided container not exceeding 62" L x 17" W x 7" D (1575 mm x 432 mm x 178 mm). The passenger must have sole possession of the key or the combination for the lock to the container. The weight of the container may not exceed 50 lb/23 kg.

Smaller locked, hard-sided containers containing smaller unloaded firearms such as handguns and starter pistols must be securely stored within a suitcase or other item of checked baggage, but the existence of such a firearm must be declared.

All ammunition carried must be securely packed in the original manufacturer's container; in fiber, wood, or metal boxes; or in other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. The maximum weight of all ammunition and containers may not exceed 11 lb/5 kg.

The passenger is responsible for knowing and following all federal, state, and local firearm laws at all jurisdictions to and through which he or she will be travelling.

All other Amtrak checked baggage policies apply, including limits on the number of pieces of checked baggage, the maximum weight of each piece (50 lb/23 kg).

Firearms/ammunition may not be carried in carry-on baggage; therefore, checked baggage must be available on all trains and at all stations in the passenger's itinerary.

At the time of check-in, passengers will be required to complete and sign a two-part Declaration Form.

BB guns and Compressed Air Guns (to include paintball markers), are to be treated as firearms and must comply with the above firearms policy. Canisters, tanks, or other devices containing propellants must be emptied prior to checking and securely packaged within the contents of the passenger's luggage.

Passengers failing to meet the above-mentioned requirements for checking firearms will be denied transportation.

To book a firearm with your reservation or ask a question about the process, visit the Contact Us page, select "Checked Firearms Program" as the subject and send us your message.

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Note the above references to checked baggage.

 

If the train is a commuter train, it may not have a baggage check option. If no baggage check is available, you have no legal means of transporting a firearm on that route.

 

Unlike CTA, you cannot have an unloaded encased firearm in the passenger area of Amtrack.

 

 

How does a non-city dweller know or find out if there is a baggage check option?

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Checked in baggage like in an airplane.

 

Da Rulz:

 

 

Notification that the passenger will be checking firearms/ammunition must be made no later than 24 hours before train departure by calling Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL. Online reservations for firearms/ammunition are not accepted.

 

 

This is different than an airplane, in that you can simply walk up to an airline counter and declare a firearm. From this, it reads as if you have actually call Amtrak to declare at least 24 hours prior to departure.

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Note the above references to checked baggage.

 

If the train is a commuter train, it may not have a baggage check option. If no baggage check is available, you have no legal means of transporting a firearm on that route.

 

Unlike CTA, you cannot have an unloaded encased firearm in the passenger area of Amtrack.

 

 

How does a non-city dweller know or find out if there is a baggage check option?

 

 

I just went on the website and put in an itinerary for Chicago to New York. Each option clearly shows an icon for checked baggage or states, "No Checked Baggage."

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Note the above references to checked baggage.

 

If the train is a commuter train, it may not have a baggage check option. If no baggage check is available, you have no legal means of transporting a firearm on that route.

 

Unlike CTA, you cannot have an unloaded encased firearm in the passenger area of Amtrack.

 

 

How does a non-city dweller know or find out if there is a baggage check option?

 

 

I just went on the website and put in an itinerary for Chicago to New York. Each option clearly shows an icon for checked baggage or states, "No Checked Baggage."

 

 

Molly lives in Southern Illinois. South of I-80, you can't count on the internet or running water. It's the edge of civilization. Or is the edge of civilization 47th street? :shtf:

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What is the legal way to transport a handgun on Amtrak? Asking for passenger who will be taking the train into Union Station in Chicago and leaving the same way.

 

Traditionally Amtrak rules only applied to checked baggage. Carrying on Amtrak is not illegal, the catch was carrying was only an option for trips not traversing or stopping in a prohibited state or location. Obviously Illinois law prohibits carry, but transport is still a legal option as long as it is not checked baggage. All on body methods, fanny pack, backpack, or purse are legal.

 

Post 9-11 procedures have changed, but laws have not.

 

I do not use Amtrak but have been waiting for this issue to be challenged. The "rules" may make sense for long guns but for carry guns makes no sense in travel where carry is lawful. Unlike commercial airlines AMTRAK has no searches or screening prior to boarding.

 

 

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Note the above references to checked baggage.

 

If the train is a commuter train, it may not have a baggage check option. If no baggage check is available, you have no legal means of transporting a firearm on that route.

 

Unlike CTA, you cannot have an unloaded encased firearm in the passenger area of Amtrack.

 

 

 

 

How does a non-city dweller know or find out if there is a baggage check option?

 

 

 

 

I just went on the website and put in an itinerary for Chicago to New York. Each option clearly shows an icon for checked baggage or states, "No Checked Baggage."

 

 

 

 

Molly lives in Southern Illinois. South of I-80, you can't count on the internet or running water. It's the edge of civilization. Or is the edge of civilization 47th street? :shtf:

The south side of I-80 is the beginning of *civil*ization. :)

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You are incorrect about no security checkpoints, Amtrak does have search and screening. Not every location and not every train. I was at Chicago Union Station coming back home, sitting waiting when 6 Amtrack officers came in and setup a table and placed plastic containers on it. Two of them had handheld metal detectors. They separated everyone if you were business class or handicapped boarding you were asked to go set on the left side and those with regular tickets on the right. A canine unit showed up. They then told everyone on the left in business class and handicapped boarding to go on ahead and board the train. Everyone else needed to line up and go through a security screening.

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I was checked in an Amtrak station by a canine officer. Dog alerted on my bag which had no firearms in it at the time but had been used to transport to the range a few times. Officer asked me to step away from the bag so I didn't tell him anything about prior uses. He found a bag of trail mix snacks books laptop etc and laughed about his young dog apparently alerting on the trail mix. I just laughed and shrugged and thought maybe the dog was better than his handler realized.
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The policy outlined above specifically addresses checked baggage, transport on your person is not checked baggage. The policy also states "The passenger is responsible for knowing and following all federal, state, and local firearm laws at all jurisdictions to and through which he or she will be travelling." If you know the laws, then you know you are legal for transport in Illinois.

 

The question falls back to:

Can you be hassled? Yes.

Convicted of a crime? No.

Denied boarding? Yes.

 

No different than transporting into prohibited businesses, except for the totally random "security theater" searches.

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You see? The lawgivers almost never consider the consequences or complications of the laws they make...OR...maybe they do.

I'm sure it delights legislators and bureaucrats at all levels of government when they make a convoluted mess that no reasonable and responsible gun owner can navigate without committing a felony.

 

In certain situations, your choices become...leave the gun at home (where it does you no good)...or risk becoming a test case. Neither of those are very appealing to me. I doubt they're very appealing to the vast majority of law-abiding gun owners with jobs, and homes, and families.

Another option would be to ship the weapon to yourself at your destination via FedEx or UPS. You could carry or transport a backup weapon and lock it up at Union Station and retrieve it when you return. I believe they have rental lockers.

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The policy outlined above specifically addresses checked baggage, transport on your person is not checked baggage. The policy also states "The passenger is responsible for knowing and following all federal, state, and local firearm laws at all jurisdictions to and through which he or she will be travelling." If you know the laws, then you know you are legal for transport in Illinois.

 

The question falls back to:

Can you be hassled? Yes.

Convicted of a crime? No.

Denied boarding? Yes.

 

No different than transporting into prohibited businesses, except for the totally random "security theater" searches.

It also specifically says "all firearms must be."

 

I fully support and encourage pushing the boundaries of anti gun laws, but this seems pretty clear.

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The policy outlined above specifically addresses checked baggage, transport on your person is not checked baggage. The policy also states "The passenger is responsible for knowing and following all federal, state, and local firearm laws at all jurisdictions to and through which he or she will be travelling." If you know the laws, then you know you are legal for transport in Illinois.

 

The question falls back to:

Can you be hassled? Yes.

Convicted of a crime? No.

Denied boarding? Yes.

 

No different than transporting into prohibited businesses, except for the totally random "security theater" searches.

 

It also specifically says "all firearms must be."

I fully support and encourage pushing the boundaries of anti gun laws, but this seems pretty clear.

 

As far as transport goes, it would not be a misdemeanor or a felony. There is no crime here, just a private rule no different than getting booted out of the store for not wearing shoes.

 

 

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The policy outlined above specifically addresses checked baggage, transport on your person is not checked baggage. The policy also states "The passenger is responsible for knowing and following all federal, state, and local firearm laws at all jurisdictions to and through which he or she will be travelling." If you know the laws, then you know you are legal for transport in Illinois.

 

The question falls back to:

Can you be hassled? Yes.

Convicted of a crime? No.

Denied boarding? Yes.

 

No different than transporting into prohibited businesses, except for the totally random "security theater" searches.

 

It also specifically says "all firearms must be."

I fully support and encourage pushing the boundaries of anti gun laws, but this seems pretty clear.

As far as transport goes, it would not be a misdemeanor or a felony. There is no crime here, just a private rule no different than getting booted out of the store for not wearing shoes.

 

 

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Oh, with that I agree, no crime. I thought you meant there was an opening for carry on in general. My mistake.

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The policy outlined above specifically addresses checked baggage, transport on your person is not checked baggage. The policy also states "The passenger is responsible for knowing and following all federal, state, and local firearm laws at all jurisdictions to and through which he or she will be travelling." If you know the laws, then you know you are legal for transport in Illinois.

 

The question falls back to:

Can you be hassled? Yes.

Convicted of a crime? No.

Denied boarding? Yes.

 

No different than transporting into prohibited businesses, except for the totally random "security theater" searches.

 

It also specifically says "all firearms must be."

I fully support and encourage pushing the boundaries of anti gun laws, but this seems pretty clear.

As far as transport goes, it would not be a misdemeanor or a felony. There is no crime here, just a private rule no different than getting booted out of the store for not wearing shoes.

 

 

 

Would it be possible that Amtrak is different than a private business, because it is a Federally-regulated form of interstate transport? Airlines are private businesses too, but transporting a gun on an airplane, except in one specific way, is a crime. Is Amtrak similar, in that not following their rules is a crime, rather than just a situation where you would be asked to leave?

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