Moving guns the way a grown adult should is one thing in a truck you own. It is another thing entirely when you step onto public transport with a rifle or handgun case in your hand. On a bus or train, you are in a confined, crowded space that lawmakers and courts increasingly treat as a “sensitive place.” On top of that, the carrier itself usually has its own rules that can be stricter than state law.
From years of hauling hard cases through stations, border states, and urban systems, I have learned that the gear itself is rarely the problem. The problems start when people assume that a carry permit, or a “gun‑friendly” state, automatically translates into transit freedom. It does not. This article walks through what the law and major carriers actually say, how to choose a case that will pass scrutiny, and how to decide when the smartest move is to leave the gun at home or pick a different way to travel.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice.
The sources here include state agencies, advocacy groups like Giffords Law Center and the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, carrier policies from Amtrak, and analyses from firearms and criminal‑defense attorneys in several states. Laws change; before you travel, read the current rules and, if needed, talk to a lawyer in the relevant state.
Why Public Transport With Guns Is Different
In a private vehicle, most states treat the car as an extension of the home. For example, the Virginia State Police explain that you can carry a handgun concealed in your own vehicle without a permit as long as it is secured in a container or compartment, and “secured” does not even have to mean locked. Florida defense attorneys emphasize a similar “securely encased” rule for guns in cars and trucks, with glove compartments, zipped cases, and closed boxes all qualifying.
Public transport flips that script. According to Giffords Law Center, every state bans firearms in at least some locations, and many of those bans apply even if you hold a carry permit. Federal law separately bans guns in federal facilities, on postal property, and in security‑screened airport areas and on most commercial airplanes. Local transit agencies sit on top of that mesh of rules and may go further.
Policy advocates have pushed to treat buses and trains as classic “sensitive places.” A coalition of state attorneys general, for example, backed Washington, D.C.’s law that keeps guns off its Metro buses and trains, arguing that riders are trapped in close quarters and that disputes, intimidation, or accidental discharges would hit transit‑dependent communities the hardest. Giffords Law Center points to research showing that nearly 90 percent of mass shootings with six or more deaths since 1966 occurred partly or entirely where civilian guns were already allowed, and that one study found active shootings were 63 percent less likely in gun‑free establishments than in places that allowed civilian guns.
Whether you agree with those policy arguments or not, the bottom line for the gear owner is simple: public transport is legally treated as higher risk ground, and you have far less control over that environment than you do in your own truck.
Two Layers of Rules: Law vs. Carrier Policy
Any time you move a gun case on public transport, two sets of rules control your fate.
The first is the law: federal, state, and sometimes local ordinances. These decide whether you may possess or carry at all in a given place, and they attach the penalties. Illinois’ Firearm Concealed Carry Act, for example, generally lets licensed individuals carry concealed but specifically bans guns on publicly funded buses, trains, and transit property. A federal judge in Rockford recently ruled that this ban is unconstitutional as applied to four particular permit holders, but the statute still applies to everyone else while the case moves through appeals. In Missouri, a state known for broad permitless carry, it is still a felony under state law to board a passenger or coach bus with a firearm or to carry one into a bus terminal or even an adjacent parking area, unless you are law enforcement, commercial security, or have the bus owner’s express consent.
The second is carrier policy. Private bus lines and even some public agencies can impose terms of carriage that go beyond state law. One national concealed‑carry organization surveyed major bus companies and found that Greyhound, Megabus, Trailways, and Peter Pan Bus Lines all prohibit firearms of any kind in their buses and cabins and also ban ammunition and firearm parts or accessories. On a different track, the Dallas‑area DART system publishes guidance allowing passengers to carry handguns openly or concealed, but only in belt or shoulder holsters and subject to Texas law. In California, legal commentary on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) notes that state Penal Code section 171.7 criminalizes weapons in the “sterile areas” of public transit facilities, with only narrow exceptions.
You have to clear both layers: the law and the carrier’s rules. If either one says no, your gun case is not riding.
Here is how those layers tend to line up in practice, based on the cited sources.
Mode or system |
What the law or policy does |
What it usually means for your gun case |
Major private intercity buses (Greyhound, Megabus, Trailways, Peter Pan) |
Company policies ban firearms, ammunition, and gun parts in buses and cabins. |
Even if state law would allow you to carry, your ticket contract does not. Expect to travel unarmed or choose another mode. |
Amtrak intercity trains |
Federal rail passenger service allows firearms only in checked baggage on certain routes, under strict conditions. |
You may be able to check a locked, hard‑sided case if your train and stations offer checked baggage and you follow Amtrak’s process; no firearms in carry‑on. |
Local public transit like BART (California) |
State law (Penal Code 171.7) criminalizes weapons in “sterile areas” of public transit facilities, with narrow exceptions. |
Treat platforms and controlled‑access zones as gun‑free unless you have very clear statutory authority and meet locked‑container requirements. |
Local public transit like DART (Texas) |
Agency guidance says passengers may carry handguns openly or concealed, but only in belt or shoulder holsters, under state law. |
In that region, licensed or otherwise lawful carriers may ride armed, but they must comply with Texas carry law and the holster rule. |
Public buses in Missouri |
State law makes boarding a passenger or coach bus with a firearm a felony, and bars guns in bus terminals and adjacent parking areas, with limited exceptions. |
You do not bring a gun case onto a Missouri bus or into the terminal unless you are clearly inside an exception and ready to defend that in court. |
When you plan a trip, step one is identifying which line of that table you are really on.
Federal Baselines: What Counts as a Firearm and a Loaded Gun
Before the state‑by‑state detail, it helps to know how federal agencies define your gear.
The Transportation Security Administration relies on federal criminal code for the definition of a firearm. Under Title 18, a firearm includes any weapon, including a starter pistol, that will fire, is designed to fire, or can be readily converted to fire a projectile by the action of an explosive. The frame or receiver alone is treated as a firearm, even without barrel or stock. Firearm mufflers and silencers qualify as firearms in their own right, and certain destructive devices are also captured by this definition.
For transport and security purposes, TSA also points to regulatory language that defines when a firearm is “loaded.” A handgun or long gun is treated as loaded if there is a live round or any component of a live round in the chamber, in the cylinder of a revolver, or in a magazine that is inserted in the firearm, even if the chamber is empty. That matters on trains and other systems that borrow from these definitions or check your case visually.
You also need to understand the Firearm Owners Protection Act, usually shortened to FOPA. As the NRA Institute for Legislative Action explains, FOPA’s interstate transport provision lets a law‑abiding gun owner move firearms across state lines between two places where they may legally possess and carry them, regardless of more restrictive laws in the states they pass through. The conditions are that the firearms must be unloaded and cased or otherwise not readily accessible, and both the origin and destination must be locations where you can lawfully possess and carry those guns.
In theory, FOPA is your shield against hostile jurisdictions while you drive through with a locked case. In practice, the NRA has documented multiple cases in states like New York and New Jersey where travelers whose unloaded handguns were in checked airline baggage were still arrested when flights were disrupted and their baggage reclaimed. Courts then interpreted FOPA narrowly, leaving those travelers without a meaningful remedy. A proposed reform bill, H.R. 131, would broaden FOPA’s coverage to incidental stops for lodging, food, fuel, and emergencies and would make violations enforceable as federal civil‑rights claims, but that bill is not law.
The takeaway is that FOPA is useful when you are in your own vehicle and everything goes smoothly, but it does not force a bus company to take your gun, it does not override carrier policy, and it does not guarantee you will not be hassled in states that dislike gun travelers.
Amtrak: How to Move a Gun Case on National Rail
If you absolutely have to move a firearm by rail, Amtrak is the only large carrier with a formal, nationwide checked‑firearms program.
According to Amtrak’s published policy, firearms and ammunition are accepted only as checked baggage on certain trains that offer checked baggage service and have a ticket office. Amtrak bus connections are explicitly excluded from the program. You cannot just show up at the station with a rifle case and hope for the best. You must notify Amtrak that you will be checking firearms or ammunition at least twenty‑four hours before departure by calling their reservation line; you cannot make these arrangements online.
Amtrak also requires that you travel on the same train that carries your checked firearms. You must check the firearm case at least thirty minutes before departure, and some larger stations require even earlier check‑in, so you need to confirm timing with the departure station.
Every firearm, whether rifle, shotgun, handgun, taser, or starter pistol, must be unloaded and locked inside an approved hard‑sided container. That container cannot exceed about 62 inches in length, 17 inches in width, and 7 inches in depth, and its total weight may not exceed 50 pounds. Only you may have the key or combination to that lock. Smaller unloaded firearms in smaller hard‑sided locked containers must be placed inside other checked baggage, and you still have to declare their existence to Amtrak staff.
Ammunition must be securely packed in the original manufacturer’s box or in a fiber, wood, or metal container designed to carry small quantities of ammunition. The total weight of ammunition, including packaging, cannot exceed roughly 11 pounds. Ammunition and firearms are completely barred from carry‑on baggage, so your itinerary must include checked baggage service at every station along your route, or you cannot use the program.
At check‑in, Amtrak requires you to complete and sign a two‑part declaration form. They explicitly put the burden on you to know and comply with all applicable federal, state, and local firearm laws in every jurisdiction you travel to, from, and through. Firearms like BB guns and compressed‑air guns, including paintball markers, are treated as firearms under this policy, and any propellant tanks must be empty and securely packed inside luggage.
If you do not meet these requirements, you are denied transportation. A Florida firearms‑law guide notes that violations of rail‑carrier firearm policies, such as failing to declare a gun or bringing it into passenger areas, can also expose you to federal criminal charges, not just a denied boarding.
In practical terms, this makes your case choice and packing discipline critical. For Amtrak use, I favor a hard‑sided case that is long enough for the longest firearm you actually travel with, but still under the 62‑inch limit, with serious latches and real metal lock hasps. A case that is just large enough for the firearm you will actually carry, plus magazines and basic accessories, will stay well under the 50‑pound limit and is easier for baggage handlers to manage without abuse.
Private Interstate Buses: Usually a Dead End
From a value perspective, private intercity buses look attractive. Tickets are cheap compared to flying or driving solo, and the routes reach into small towns that trains do not. For gun owners, they are almost always a dead end.
Research compiled for the concealed‑carry community found that the major national bus lines—Greyhound, Megabus, Trailways, and Peter Pan—share the same bottom line: no firearms, no ammunition, and no firearm parts in the cabin, and no gun carriage in their systems generally. These are private companies. Their ticket terms can be more restrictive than state law, and they are.
That mismatch bites hardest in places like Missouri. The state allows adults to carry concealed and loaded firearms in public without a permit, but boarding a bus with a firearm is still a felony. Bringing a firearm into a bus terminal or its adjacent parking areas is also a felony, with exceptions only for law enforcement, commercial security, or someone with the express consent of the owner. A Missouri criminal‑defense firm notes that unlawful possession in this context is a Class D felony carrying potential fines up to $10,000 and prison time up to seven years.
Those numbers are not theoretical.
If you try to “ride discreetly” with a gun case on a Missouri bus, and the driver calls law enforcement, you are looking at real felony exposure even though the same state trusts you to carry in most other public places.
If you need to move a gun and all your research tells you that the bus operator bans them, then from a practical standpoint that carrier is off the table. It makes more sense to adjust your mode of travel—to a private vehicle under your state’s transport rules or to a rail route that offers checked‑firearms service—than to gamble a felony over a cheap ticket.
Local and Regional Transit: State‑Specific Trap Zones
The highest legal risk for a gun owner is usually in local or regional public transit. Here is how the picture looks in a few states and regions covered by the cited sources.
California: Locked Containers and Sterile Areas
California already runs some of the tightest firearm regulations in the country. The Attorney General’s guidance on transporting firearms explains that a handgun in a vehicle must be unloaded and stored in a “locked container,” which Penal Code section 16850 defines as a secure, fully enclosed container locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar device. The trunk of a car counts as a locked container; the glove compartment and utility compartments do not, even if they have locks. Nonconcealable firearms like rifles and shotguns must be unloaded during transport but do not always have to be in a locked container unless they are registered assault weapons, which carry stricter rules.
Public transit layers Penal Code section 171.7 on top of that. According to criminal‑defense analysis of that statute, it is a crime to knowingly bring a firearm or other specified weapon into the “sterile area” of a public transit facility. A sterile area is the part of a facility where access is controlled, for example beyond a security checkpoint or turnstile. The definition of “public transit facility” covers land, buildings, and vehicles used to operate a public transit system with controlled access, including buses, streetcars, light rail, rapid transit, subways, trains, ferries, jitneys, and their stations.
Prohibited weapons in these areas include firearms and imitation firearms, grenades and replicas, BB guns and tear‑gas weapons, and even undetectable knives. Peace officers and authorized security are carved out. Penalties include up to six months in county jail and fines up to $1,000, and if you brandish or try to use the weapon you can face additional charges.
Separate commentary focused on BART notes that there are narrow exceptions in practice, including for some concealed‑carry permit holders and for individuals transporting unloaded firearms in locked containers under Penal Code section 25610, as long as the firearm is not on their person in the facility. Those details are technical and not obvious on a platform map.
In California, the safe approach is to assume that if you pass through a checkpoint or controlled turnstile to get to a train or platform, you are entering a sterile area where your gun case does not belong unless you have very specific legal authority and your locked‑container setup is exactly compliant.
Illinois: Litigation Does Not Equal Permission
Illinois provides a good example of why you cannot treat lawsuits as green lights. The state’s 2013 Firearm Concealed Carry Act allows permitted concealed carry but bans firearms on publicly funded buses, trains, transit‑related buildings, and associated parking areas. Four permit holders challenged that ban in federal court, arguing that under the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, Illinois must show a historical tradition that justifies a public‑transit ban for licensed carriers.
A federal judge agreed that Illinois had not met that burden for those particular plaintiffs, and ruled the ban unconstitutional as applied to them. However, the statute was left in place for everyone else, and the Attorney General is expected to appeal. The governor has publicly criticized the ruling, arguing that the state must retain the ability to restrict weapons in places like public transit.
Unless you are one of the named plaintiffs in that lawsuit, the functional reality is the same as before: carrying on Chicago‑area buses and trains remains prohibited by statute, and you can be arrested and prosecuted for doing it. Being “kind of like” one of the plaintiffs is not a defense.
Washington, D.C.: Transit as a Sensitive Place
In the District of Columbia, the transit issue shows up through court briefs rather than carrier brochures. A coalition of state attorneys general submitted arguments supporting D.C.’s law that keeps guns off public transit systems, framing buses and trains as “sensitive places.” They emphasized that riders and workers are stuck in confined, crowded spaces, that ordinary disputes can escalate quickly if weapons are present, and that transit bans particularly protect low‑income communities and communities of color that rely heavily on public transportation.
The coalition asked courts, applying the Bruen historical‑tradition test, to uphold D.C.’s transit restrictions and to preserve state and local authority to create similar location‑specific regulations. For the person standing at a Metro entrance with a gun case, the practical message is that D.C. is treating transit as a gun‑free zone backed by both local law and multistate support.
Missouri: Gun‑Friendly State, Gun‑Hostile Buses
Missouri’s overall gun framework is lenient. There is no state license required for possession of rifles, shotguns, or handguns. The NRA’s state‑law overview notes that the state allows permitless concealed carry and that localities can regulate open carry only to a limited extent, especially when someone holds a valid concealed‑carry permit.
That does not soften bus rules. As already mentioned, Missouri law makes it a felony for an ordinary person to board a passenger or coach bus with a firearm, whether concealed or not, and another felony to bring a firearm into a bus terminal or transportation depot or its adjacent parking areas. Only law enforcement, commercial security, or persons with express consent of the bus owner are exempt.
In April, the Missouri House passed a bill that would loosen those location restrictions by allowing gun owners to carry on public buses and inside churches. As of the date of the legal commentary, that bill still needed Senate passage and the governor’s signature before it could take effect. Until that happens, bringing a gun on a bus remains illegal, and unlawful possession in this context is a Class D felony with significant fines and up to seven years of possible prison time.
Texas: DART and Context‑Driven Rules
Texas has a complex but generally gun‑tolerant legal environment. The Texas State Law Library points out that firearm rules for travel depend heavily on context: walking, driving, and public transport are all treated differently, and travelers are urged to check the specific rules that apply to their situation.
DART, the Dallas‑area regional transit system, is a concrete example. Its open‑carry information tells passengers that they may carry a handgun openly or concealed on DART services, but that the handgun must be in a belt holster or shoulder holster. The excerpt does not detail permit status or restricted areas, which are likely governed by Texas statutes and other agency policies.
The lesson here is that some public systems do allow armed riders but on tightly defined terms. You cannot assume that what works on DART will be acceptable on Houston’s METRO or on a different state’s trains. You have to read the specific transit agency’s rules, not just the state code.
Florida: Trains, Local Rail, and Secure Encasement
Florida is another state where the details matter. A Florida firearms guide explains that the state allows concealed carry with or without a permit, but generally prohibits open carry in public. For travel on trains, there are two layers: Florida law and carrier or system policy.
On the law side, Florida Statute 790.25 and related provisions treat private vehicles as an extension of the home. As long as a firearm is “securely encased” and not readily accessible for immediate use, adults can keep a concealed firearm in a vehicle without a permit; securely encased includes glove compartments (locked or unlocked), snapped holsters, gun cases, zippered cases, and any closed container that must be opened to reach the firearm. A separate Florida transport guide notes that on public transportation—buses and trains—people without a concealed‑weapon license generally must keep handguns securely encased and off their person, while license holders may carry concealed on their person, subject to other location restrictions.
On the policy side, carriers like Amtrak still control their own trains. The Florida‑focused rail article points out that Amtrak permits firearms only as checked baggage, never in passenger areas, and that they must be unloaded, declared, and locked in a hard‑sided container where only the passenger retains the key or combination. Local rail systems such as SunRail set their own policies and often require guns to be unloaded and locked in a case, with riders advised to verify current rules.
Once again, the pattern is clear: your case setup might be lawful in your car and compliant with state law, but if the rail carrier’s rules are tighter, those rules win inside that system.
Choosing a Gun Case That Works on Transit
Legally, most transit‑related rules care about three things: whether the gun is present at all, whether it is loaded, and whether it is in a locked or secured container. That directly informs what kind of case actually makes sense if you ever plan to board a train with it.
Carriers like Amtrak explicitly require a hard‑sided case that can be locked, with only the passenger holding the key or combination. California’s transport law defines a “locked container” as fully enclosed and secured by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar device, and specifically excludes glove compartments and basic utility compartments. Florida’s “securely encased” concept is broader, covering zipped soft cases and glove boxes, but that is limited to vehicles and does not satisfy stricter locked‑container statutes in other states.
For a traveler who wants one piece of gear that covers most scenarios, a rigid, lockable case sized under Amtrak’s dimensions is the best investment. It will handle rifles or shotguns within that length and any handgun, and it is easy to pad for optics and accessories. Look for reinforced metal hasps that accept quality padlocks, rather than relying on flimsy built‑in latches. A case that, packed, stays under 50 pounds will meet Amtrak’s weight limit and will also be easier to carry quickly across a platform or through a station without beating up your shoulders.
On the ammunition side, solid internal organization pays off. Amtrak wants ammo in original packaging or in dedicated fiber, wood, or metal boxes, up to about 11 pounds total. Following that standard even when you are not on Amtrak makes sense. Small, clearly labeled ammo boxes stored inside the main hard case or in a separate, locked container simplify inspections and reduce the chance that loose rounds will migrate into odd pockets during a long trip.
From a value standpoint, one well‑built, airline‑grade hard case that meets Amtrak’s limits and fits your most commonly transported firearm is smarter money than several cheaper soft cases you cannot legally lock in every state.
Planning a Legal Trip With a Gun Case
A safe and legal transport plan is never just about the case. It is about the route.
First, map the jurisdictions. List your starting point, every state or city you will set foot in, and your final destination. Remember that if you change trains or buses, exit a secure area, or overnight in a motel, you are under local law at each stop, not just the law at your origin.
Second, verify that you can lawfully possess the firearm at both ends of the trip and in every jurisdiction in between. FOPA, as described by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, only helps if you are legal at both origin and destination. If your end point is a place that bans your type of firearm, or your status as a possessor, FOPA does not give you a free pass.
Third, look for location‑specific bans that hit transit. Illinois bans guns on public transit systems by statute. Missouri treats buses and bus terminals as off‑limits and backs that up with felony penalties. California treats the sterile areas of transit facilities almost like airports, with criminal penalties attached. Giffords Law Center’s overview of location restrictions shows that this kind of carve‑out is common.
Fourth, research the carrier’s policies. That means the specific transit agency or company you will ride, not just “trains” or “buses” in general. Amtrak has a detailed checked‑firearms program with very particular dimensions, weights, and procedures. Major private bus lines flatly prohibit firearms and ammunition. DART allows carry but requires belt or shoulder holsters for handguns on its services. Local rail systems in Florida have their own rules layered on top of state law.
Fifth, once you have confirmed that both the law and the carrier allow you to transport a firearm, build your packing and timing plan around the strictest standard involved. If Amtrak is part of your route, pack for unloaded, hard‑sided, and locked, with ammo in proper boxes and declared at check‑in. If California is in the mix, treat your case like a Penal Code 16850 locked container. If Florida vehicle segments are involved, keep vehicle storage securely encased and not readily accessible.
Finally, if any leg of the trip fails those checks—if a city or carrier prohibits guns entirely, or if litigation has left the law unsettled in a way that could make you the test case—the most practical option is usually to change the plan so the gun does not travel at all.
Common Legal Traps and How to Avoid Them
One recurring mistake is assuming that a carry permit is a golden ticket. Illinois shows that is not so. The plaintiffs who won their as‑applied challenge to the transit ban did so only as individuals, after litigation. Everyone else with the same license still faces the same statutory prohibition. In Missouri, you can be perfectly legal carrying concealed on the street and instantly become a felon once you step onto a passenger bus.
Another trap is ignoring “sterile areas.” California’s Penal Code 171.7 treats controlled‑access zones in transit facilities as weapon‑free, similar to federal rules for airport security checkpoints and sterile airport areas. Once you pass the point where access is screened or gated, the standard changes. Carrying your case to the station does not mean you can haul it through every gate and onto every platform.
A third problem is confusing vehicle transport rules with transit rules. Florida and Virginia both give gun owners relatively broad leeway to keep secure, concealed firearms in private vehicles. Those rules do not automatically carry over when you step onto a bus, a train, or a ferry operated by a transit authority.
A fourth is over‑reliance on FOPA. As the NRA has documented, several travelers who thought they were within FOPA’s unloaded, cased, lawful‑origin‑and‑destination standard were still arrested in states like New York and New Jersey when airline disruptions forced them to reclaim luggage. Courts then read FOPA narrowly and declined to give them relief. FOPA is a defense, not a guarantee you will never be handcuffed on the way to your connection.
Finally, there is the risk of outdated information. Missouri’s House may pass a bill that eases transit restrictions, but until the Senate concurs and the governor signs it, the felony bus bans stand. Federal courts may chip away at or uphold transit bans in different states as Bruen‑based challenges play out. Ammo background‑check regimes, like California’s, may be struck down and then revived pending appeal. That is why organizations from Giffords Law Center to state law libraries and local law offices all stress the same point: check current law before you travel.
Short FAQ
If my state allows permitless carry, can I bring an unloaded gun case onto a city bus?
Not safely, unless you have confirmed that both state law and the bus operator allow it. Missouri is permitless‑carry friendly in general but makes boarding a passenger or coach bus with a firearm a felony. Major national bus companies also have blanket policies forbidding firearms, ammunition, and gun parts on their buses, regardless of the underlying state law. You need an explicit yes from both the statute and the carrier, not just an absence of a no.
Does FOPA let me ride Amtrak or local transit with a gun on my belt if I am traveling between two legal states?
No. The Firearm Owners Protection Act protects the interstate transportation of unloaded firearms that are cased or otherwise inaccessible, between two places where you can legally possess and carry them. It does not create a right to carry a loaded firearm on your person on a train. Amtrak’s own policy only allows firearms as checked baggage in locked hard‑sided containers. Local transit systems, like those in Illinois or D.C., may ban guns on their vehicles entirely.
Is a soft zippered case enough, or do I really need a hard‑sided locked case?
It depends on where you are and how you are traveling. Florida’s vehicle rules treat a zipped gun rug or a closed glove box as “securely encased,” which is sufficient for many in‑state car trips. California’s definition of a locked container, however, requires a fully enclosed container locked by a padlock, key lock, or combination lock and explicitly excludes glove compartments. Amtrak requires a hard‑sided locked case for any firearm in checked baggage. If there is any chance you will cross into stricter territory or use a carrier like Amtrak, a hard‑sided lockable case is the more resilient choice.
Closing Thoughts
The more crowded and controlled the environment, the less room there is for improvisation with firearms. Public transport is about as crowded and controlled as it gets. If the law and the carrier’s rules line up in your favor and you are willing to do the homework, you can move gun cases safely and legally on certain trains and in limited transit systems. When they do not, the most practical, value‑driven decision is not to force it. Gear is replaceable; a felony record and a seized firearm are not.
References
- https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/travel
- https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=571.030
- https://guides.sll.texas.gov/gun-laws/vehicles-traveling
- https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_by_state
- https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/dA/5e59ede07b/202209-26%20LEADS%20COALITION%20SUPPORTING%20D.C.%20LAW%20KEEPING%20GUNS%20OFF%20PUBLIC%20TRANSIT.pdf
- https://vsp.virginia.gov/services/firearms/transporting-firearms-through-virginia/
- https://ipmnewsroom.org/state-law-banning-concealed-carry-on-public-transit-ruled-unconstitutional/
- https://www.nraila.org/get-the-facts/firearm-transportation/
- https://www.stlpr.org/news-briefs/2025-04-10/missouri-house-approves-allowing-guns-on-public-transit
