Idaho’s Top 10 prohibited items TSA found in carry-on luggage
BOISE, IDAHO (KIFI) - A sledgehammer, a bowie knife, and a large slingshot. What do these items all have in common?
They were all discovered in carry-on luggage at airports across Idaho last year by the Transportation Security Administration.
The TSA released its list of the top ten prohibited items found at Idaho airports in 2024.
The state had a record-setting year, with 64 discoveries at five different airports.
While Pocatello's airport did not make the list, the Idaho Falls Airport had three separate discovery incidents.
Idaho’s Top 10 prohibited items found in 2024:
| #10 | Idaho Falls | AR-15 magazines | These magazines are designed for use with a rifle and come in various capacities. Bring one, let alone two, to the checkpoint and you will be questioned by law enforcement and likely fined. January 2024 |
| # 9 | Boise | Large hunting knife | TSA officers always ask passengers before a bag check if there is anything in the bag that is sharp or could injure them. Hope the passenger said yes! March 2024 |
| # 8 | Lewiston | 19 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition | Whether traveling with a single round - or 19 of them - ammunition must be transported in checked baggage and declared to the airline. Don’t forget to make sure it is packaged properly. February 2024 |
| # 7 | Idaho Falls | Sledgehammer | This item is used to break through concrete, brick and other hardened surfaces. Did the passenger forget that no inflight construction projects are allowed? May 2024 |
| #6 | Boise | Bowie knife | Named after frontiersman Jim Bowie, this knife can be used for many purposes. Regardless of how it is used, knives, including this one with a clip point perfect for piercing and precision work, are never allowed in carry-on luggage. May 2024 |
| # 5 | Sun Valley | Large slingshot | This one hits the bullseye on our prohibited items list! Guidance on how to travel with various sporting equipment is available on the “What Can I Bring?” tool at TSA.gov. August 2024 |
| # 4 | Twin Falls | Double-edged knife | Any way you slice it and despite its unique decorative handle, this double-edge knife can’t travel in carry-on luggage. Next time, check it. July 2024 |
| # 3 | Boise | Knife and firearm magaizine | Two wrongs didn’t make a right. That’s what a passenger found out when they brought this knife and a Sig Sauer 9 mm magazine in a single carry-on. September 2024 |
| # 2 | Idaho Falls | Handsaw | Handsaws are handy, but no DIY projects are allowed post-security or onboard an aircraft. Please place anything with a blade in checked baggage. Every time. November 2024 |
| # 1 | Boise | Firearms of all types | A .6 mm BB gun, a non-functional 3-D printed Glock, a pepper spray infused replica firearm and two loaded handguns all came to the BOI security checkpoint in December. Thank you to the TSA officers who intercepted these items and kept them off the plane. December 2024 |
The TSA says once a prohibited item is found, the traveler can put the item in checked baggage, turn it over to a friend or relative that's not traveling, or leave the item with TSA for disposal.
Below is a summary of TSA firearm discoveries by airport for the past six years. Not only was a record set for TSA Idaho, TSA officers at two airports - BOI and IDA – discovered a record number of firearms in 2024.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Boise Airport (BOI) | 19 | 22 | 34 | 40 | 42 | 49 |
| Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 13 |
| Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport (LWS) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Magic Valley Regional Airport (TWF) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Idaho total: | 24 | 24 | 40 | 49 | 47 | 64 |
TSA said firearms can be transported on a commercial aircraft only if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case, and placed in checked baggage. Any type of replica firearm is prohibited in carry-on baggage and must be transported in checked luggage.
