GOP bill would allow gun licenses as airport ID

Two House Republicans are filing legislation to force the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to accept gun licenses as passenger identification at airport security checkpoints. 

The lawmakers said the legislation would end a “discriminatory” TSA policy that excludes gun licenses from a list of acceptable forms of identification for airline passengers ahead of the busy holiday travel season. 

“Handgun licenses are a government-issued form of identification and no one has given me a valid reason why they cannot be accepted at TSA checkpoints,” said Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.), who is one of the sponsors of the legislation.

{mosads}”Americans who exercise their Second Amendment freedoms have bared the brunt of much hostility from this Administration over the last seven years,” she continued. “As a handgun carry permit holder myself, I believe this should be a simple, bipartisan step we can take to stop the government’s marginalization of gun-owners and alleviate confusion for millions of American travelers this holiday season.” 

TSA maintains a list of 14 forms of identification that it considers acceptable for passage at airport security checkpoints, such as driver’s licenses, passports and military, airline or airport employee identifications. 

Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas), who is a co-sponsor of the legislation, said gun licenses contain similar information as the other forms of identification the TSA considers acceptable.    

“The requirements to obtain a concealed license are similar and often times stricter than that of obtaining a standard ID card,” Flores said in a statement. 

“Concealed handgun licenses contain all of the identifying information required by the TSA,” he continued. “It is time they recognize these licenses as acceptable forms of identification. The Nondiscriminatory Transportation Screening Act provides a commonsense approach for the TSA to update its policies on permissible verifying documents.”