349 

Transportation Security Administration, DHS 

§ 1544.203 

Subpart C—Operations 

§ 1544.201

Acceptance and screening of 

individuals and accessible property. 

(a) 

Preventing or deterring the carriage 

of any explosive, incendiary, or deadly or 
dangerous weapon. Each aircraft oper-
ator must use the measures in its secu-
rity program to prevent or deter the 
carriage of any weapon, explosive, or 
incendiary on or about each individ-
ual’s person or accessible property be-
fore boarding an aircraft or entering a 
sterile area. 

(b) 

Screening of individuals and acces-

sible property. Except as provided in its 
security program, each aircraft oper-
ator must ensure that each individual 
entering a sterile area at each preboard 
screening checkpoint for which it is re-
sponsible, and all accessible property 
under that individual’s control, are in-
spected for weapons, explosives, and in-
cendiaries as provided in § 1544.207. 

(c) 

Refusal to transport. Each aircraft 

operator must deny entry into a sterile 
area and must refuse to transport— 

(1) Any individual who does not con-

sent to a search or inspection of his or 
her person in accordance with the sys-
tem prescribed in this part; and 

(2) Any property of any individual or 

other person who does not consent to a 
search or inspection of that property in 
accordance with the system prescribed 
by this part. 

(d) 

Prohibitions on carrying a weapon, 

explosive, or incendiary. Except as pro-
vided in §§ 1544.219, 1544.221, and 1544.223, 
no aircraft operator may permit any 
individual to have a weapon, explosive, 
or incendiary, on or about the individ-
ual’s person or accessible property 
when onboard an aircraft. 

(e) 

Staffing.  Each aircraft operator 

must staff its security screening check-
points with supervisory and non-super-
visory personnel in accordance with 
the standards specified in its security 
program. 

§ 1544.202

Persons and property on-

board an all-cargo aircraft. 

Each aircraft operator operating 

under a full all-cargo program, or a 
twelve-five program in an all-cargo op-
eration, must apply the security meas-
ures in its security program for persons 
who board the aircraft for transpor-

tation, and for their property, to pre-
vent or deter the carriage of any unau-
thorized persons, and any unauthorized 
weapons, explosives, incendiaries, and 
other destructive devices, items, or 
substances. 

[71 FR 30510, May 26, 2006] 

§ 1544.203

Acceptance and screening of 

checked baggage. 

(a) 

Preventing or deterring the carriage 

of any explosive or incendiary. Each air-
craft operator must use the procedures, 
facilities, and equipment described in 
its security program to prevent or 
deter the carriage of any unauthorized 
explosive or incendiary onboard air-
craft in checked baggage. 

(b) 

Acceptance. Each aircraft operator 

must ensure that checked baggage car-
ried in the aircraft is received by its 
authorized aircraft operator represent-
ative. 

(c) 

Screening of checked baggage. Ex-

cept as provided in its security pro-
gram, each aircraft operator must en-
sure that all checked baggage is in-
spected for explosives and incendiaries 
before loading it on its aircraft, in ac-
cordance with § 1544.207. 

(d) 

Control.  Each aircraft operator 

must use the procedures in its security 
program to control checked baggage 
that it accepts for transport on an air-
craft, in a manner that: 

(1) Prevents the unauthorized car-

riage of any explosive or incendiary 
aboard the aircraft. 

(2) Prevents access by persons other 

than an aircraft operator employee or 
its agent. 

(e) 

Refusal to transport. Each aircraft 

operator must refuse to transport any 
individual’s checked baggage or prop-
erty if the individual does not consent 
to a search or inspection of that 
checked baggage or property in accord-
ance with the system prescribed by 
this part. 

(f) 

Firearms in checked baggage. No 

aircraft operator may knowingly per-
mit any person to transport in checked 
baggage: 

(1) Any loaded firearm(s). 
(2) Any unloaded firearm(s) unless— 
(i) The passenger declares to the air-

craft operator, either orally or in writ-
ing before checking the baggage that 

VerDate Sep<11>2014 

13:18 Nov 27, 2023

Jkt 259235

PO 00000

Frm 00359

Fmt 8010

Sfmt 8010

Y:\SGML\259235.XXX

259235

skersey on DSK4WB1RN3PROD with CFR

350 

49 CFR Ch. XII (10–1–23 Edition) 

§ 1544.205 

any firearm carried in the baggage is 
unloaded; 

(ii) The firearm is carried in a hard- 

sided container; 

(iii) The container in which it is car-

ried is locked, and only the individual 
checking the baggage retains the key 
or combination; and 

(iv) The checked baggage containing 

the firearm is carried in an area that is 
inaccessible to passengers, and is not 
carried in the flightcrew compart-
ment,. 

(3) Any unauthorized explosive or in-

cendiary. 

(g) 

Ammunition. This section does not 

prohibit the carriage of ammunition in 
checked baggage or in the same con-
tainer as a firearm. Title 49 CFR part 
175 provides additional requirements 
governing carriage of ammunition on 
aircraft. 

§ 1544.205

Acceptance and screening of 

cargo. 

(a) 

Preventing or deterring the carriage 

of any explosive or incendiary. Each air-
craft operator operating under a full 
program, a full all-cargo program, or a 
twelve-five program in an all-cargo op-
eration, must use the procedures, fa-
cilities, and equipment described in its 
security program to prevent or deter 
the carriage of any unauthorized per-
sons, and any unauthorized explosives, 
incendiaries, and other destructive sub-
stances or items in cargo onboard an 
aircraft. 

(b) 

Screening and inspection of cargo. 

Each aircraft operator operating under 
a full program or a full all-cargo pro-
gram, or a twelve-five program in an 
all-cargo operation, must ensure that 
cargo is screened and inspected for any 
unauthorized person, and any unau-
thorized explosive, incendiary, and 
other destructive substance or item as 
provided in the aircraft operator’s se-
curity program and § 1544.207, and as 
provided in § 1544.239 for operations 
under a full program, before loading it 
on its aircraft. 

(c) 

Control. Each aircraft operator op-

erating under a full program or a full 
all-cargo program must use the proce-
dures in its security program to con-
trol cargo that it accepts for transport 
on an aircraft in a manner that: 

(1) Prevents the carriage of any un-

authorized person, and any unauthor-
ized explosive, incendiary, and other 
destructive substance or item in cargo 
onboard an aircraft. 

(2) Prevents unescorted access by 

persons other than an authorized air-
craft operator employee or agent, or 
persons authorized by the airport oper-
ator or host government. 

(d) 

Refusal to transport. Except as oth-

erwise provided in its program, each 
aircraft operator operating under a full 
program, a full all-cargo program, or a 
twelve-five program in an all-cargo op-
eration, must refuse to transport any 
cargo if the shipper does not consent to 
a search or inspection of that cargo in 
accordance with the system prescribed 
by this part. 

(e) 

Acceptance of cargo only from speci-

fied persons. Each aircraft operator op-
erating under a full program or a full 
all-cargo program may accept cargo to 
be loaded in the United States for air 
transportation only from the shipper, 
an aircraft operator, foreign air car-
rier, or indirect air carrier operating 
under a security program under this 
chapter with a comparable cargo secu-
rity program, or, in the case of an oper-
ator under a full program, from a cer-
tified cargo screening facility, as pro-
vided in its security program. 

(f) 

Acceptance and screening of cargo 

outside the United States. For cargo to 
be loaded on its aircraft outside the 
United States, each aircraft operator 
must carry out the requirements of its 
security program. 

(g) 

Screening of cargo loaded inside the 

United States by a full program operator. 
For cargo to be loaded in the United 
States, each operator under a full pro-
gram in § 1544.101(a) must ensure that 
all cargo is screened in the United 
States as follows: 

(1) 

Amount screened. (i) Not later than 

February 3, 2009, each operator under a 
full program must ensure that at least 
50 percent of its cargo is screened prior 
to transport on a passenger aircraft. 

(ii) Not later than August 3, 2010, 

each operator under a full program 
must ensure that 100 percent of its 
cargo is screened prior to transport on 
a passenger aircraft. 

(2) 

Methods of screening. For the pur-

poses of this paragraph (g), the aircraft 

VerDate Sep<11>2014 

13:18 Nov 27, 2023

Jkt 259235

PO 00000

Frm 00360

Fmt 8010

Sfmt 8010

Y:\SGML\259235.XXX

259235

skersey on DSK4WB1RN3PROD with CFR