I am flying from Indiana to South Dakota - via ORD (Chicago)
I know I have to pack my handgun in a locked box in my checked baggage with ammo seperate. Could there be any issues with having it while on the ground in Chicago during my layover?
It seems like i hear of a problem with a lady in New York and they arrested her
Welcome to the family and god bless you.
Welcome, @Jay33!
I was supposed to fly with a layover in ORD before this pandemic. The trip was canceled so I did not get to put the information I found to the test. But, I found and was told that, everything will be fine as long as TSA regulations were met when checking in the firearms & ammo and you do not retrieve your checked luggage in ORD. I also booked a flight that had no scheduled plane change in ORD. Meaning they would not have to unload and reload my checked luggage.
Hi @Jay33!
I haven’t flown through ORD, so I can’t give anything definitive, but on a recent flight, I had an overnight layover in Salt Lake City and didn’t want to have to deal with rechecking my handgun and other luggage. So, I spoke with a manager of the airline I was flying at my departure airport and asked if all of my luggage could be kept by the airline overnight. They marked the bags with that info, and all of my luggage made it safely to my destination.
All of that to say, you could probably do the same thing… And, even if it’s not an overnight layover, you could ask them to mark it as such in case an overnight layover becomes necessary.
More than one! Double-check the airport and the airline’s policy on firearms and print the policies out to take with you to the airport.
If you get detoured or rerouted to a place where you cannot have your firearm, @Isaac97 had an interesting way of dealing with it.
Check the latest thread, where we have discussed ORD:
Even Chicago doesn’t like firearms… we are not NYC 
Federal Regulations cover all aspects of transporting a firearm with you. The general rule is if it’s legal for you to posses where you start and where you will end you can transport it through every state in between. Overnight layovers are no different than staying in a hotel en route while driving. I’ve never had an airline insist that I take possession of my luggage even for an overnight layover. Once it’s checked in it should be checked in though to my destination (unless you booked two separate flights in which case all bets are off) and I should not see the bag until I get to my final destination. I’ve done this many times without ever having a problem. Just follow checking agents and TSA instructions and you’ll be fine.
One last thought, I will never pack guns inside a regular suitcase. I have several Pelican cases with real locks that I use to transport firearms when I fly. The gun(s) go inside the Pelican case(s) and the case is then checked as luggage using good padlocks that only I have a key for (NO TSA LOCKS!). Cheap insurance agains someone breaking into my suitcase and stealing my gun.
Is it an overnight layover or just for a short time. If short time you won’t be claiming your luggage if over night have airlines hold bag at airport, I am not a lawyer or didn’t stay I. A Holiday Inn Expresss last night just do your research.
Thank you everyone for your feedback, it confirms what I have researched - just wanted to be absolutely sure.
@Jay33. Welcome to the family,train hard and be safe, from Michigan. 