US Travelers Limited to Taking Three Firearms Abroad

A Final Rule has been published by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) regarding US travelers taking firearms abroad. Just before the government shutdown, the Trump Administration published the revised rule, which rescinds most of the limitations imposed in an ‘Interim Final Rule’ that had been implemented in May 2024 by the Biden Administration.

The Interim Final Rule was quietly posted last year and included prohibitions on traveling with firearms to a list of countries, plus a limit on the number of firearms an individual may travel with for personal use to three in total. Furthermore, BIS planned to restrict how long US travelers could have a firearm abroad and require them to submit information in the Automated Export System (AES). That system is designed for commercial exports by businesses and not for individuals traveling with personal property.

Now under the Trump Administration, BIS has reviewed and amended the restrictions, dropping the prohibition to a list of countries that included some hunting destinations and the plans to implement time restrictions and require AES filings. So, sportsmen will continue using the Customs Border Protection (CBP) Form 4457 to declare firearms for international travel, and they may continue planning extended hunting travel without any time limits.

However, BIS decided to keep the three-firearm limitation. Traveling hunters are free to take any combination of rifles, shotguns or handguns for international hunts, but they can total no more than three. That limitation is already in effect and traveling hunters should abide by it to prevent issues when leaving the US to hunt abroad.

See the November issue of Safari Times for a more detailed report. SCI members with questions may contact SCI’s Hunter Information Service ([email protected]). The Hunter Information Service is an exclusive SCI membership benefit.