Do Airlines And TSA Check For Warrants?

We all know how strict airport security can be. You can't travel in the U.S. without an approved form of identification, there are no-fly lists that even impact passengers with the same name as a suspected terrorist, and there are all those confusing carry-on luggage restrictions. It's easy to assume, then, that anyone with an arrest warrant would be caught the moment they try to board a flight.

However, in many cases, it's still possible to travel with a warrant. Typically, airlines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) don't scan for arrest warrants when choosing who to allow on a flight. This is particularly true if you only have a warrant in one specific state (as opposed to a federal warrant or warrants in multiple states). Even when you hand over your driver's license or passport at the airport, airline and security staff are typically only checking that you're, in fact, the person booked on the flight — not what kind of criminal history may be associated with your name. That said, there's no guarantee you won't get caught in the middle of your journey, especially if your warrant is for a violent crime or anything that could be considered an act of terror. Law enforcement and Homeland Security can track travelers associated with these and similar crimes and take them into custody once they're identified at the airport.

A warrant for a minor crime may not be enough to stop you from traveling domestically. However, flying overseas with a warrant can be a lot more complicated and could get you into more trouble. As long as your warrant wasn't issued in the country you're visiting, you might not be stopped on your way to the gate. Still, your peaceful international vacation might not be so peaceful for long. If law enforcement officers notice that you left the country, they could interpret your vacation as an attempt to flee prosecution, which can make it harder to convince a judge of your innocence later.

It's also likely that you'll get caught when you try to return to the U.S. Though border protection officers may not scan your information when you leave the country, it's likely that they'll check your identity and background when you come back from a trip abroad. During a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), a Customs and Border Protection officer even claimed to catch in-bound Americans with active warrants "by the hour," signaling how common it is. Depending on your warrant, you may then face detainment, rather than being allowed to return home as usual.