Passport renewal - "why do you have so many guns?"

[ranger]

I have a friend at work who travels a lot internationally for business reasons. He just applied for passport renewal. He has been summoned to a meeting by the Federal government to explain "why he has so many guns" before passport will be renewed.

I suspect he got flagged due to his international travel; however, how does the State Department know that he has multiple guns? I thought that it was illegal to have a Federal firearm database?

[MDS]

They probably saw them from Cessna's. ;) I hope your colleague tells them to fly a kite.

[Suvorov]

Just renewed my passport and do a lot of international travel. Not sure what the threshold is for "so many guns" is, but I'm sure I'm over the mark. What does he do?

As far as databases being illegal, so is running guns down to drug cartels, but it doesn't seem to have stopped anyone from doing it.

[ranger]

Just renewed my passport and do a lot of international travel. Not sure what the threshold is for "so many guns" is, but I'm sure I'm over the mark. What does he do?

As far as databases being illegal, so is running guns down to drug cartels, but it doesn't seem to have stopped anyone from doing it.

He is an engineer. He made multiple trips in Asia including Indonesia for a recent project.

[Lost River]

Maybe there is more to the story.

I have done a lot of international travel for work purposes, and have never had anybody ask me about firearms ownership.

Of course usually TSA is too busy ratfucking my gear, trying to find anything, so they can have an opportunity to over react..

DOS and passports are usually the "easy" part.

[GardoneVT]

I suspect he got flagged due to his international travel; however, how does the State Department know that he has multiple guns? I thought that it was illegal to have a Federal firearm database?

At the Federal level you're right.

State level not so much-if your friend lives in one that mandates registration it could explain how the SD knows.

I remember coming across a memo at my university's records database regarding multiple, left-leaning states on the East Coast voluntarily sharing their firearms registry data with Federal agencies. It was years old when I read it, so who knows how deep the rabbit hole is now.

[HCM]

Something is off with your friends story.

[TGS]

I know a few people who investigate passport issues.

Having intimate knowledge on how many guns we own is not part of their job.

Just like the girl who told me her boyfriend got a dishonorable discharge just for smoking weed......something is ABSOLUTELY wrong with your friends' story.

[Joe in PNG]

Another frequent international traveler who has never had a passport issue due to the amount of guns owned here.

And I will also venture that there is a "rest of the story" to this story.

[Gadfly]

Something is off with your friends story.

What they say they want to interview him about, and what they actually want to interview him about, are two totally different things.

I imagine they have other concerns, and the gun questions are an excuse to get him in.

Being a Fed, I think the gun questions sounds like a ruse... Just a hunch.

[DMF13]

Something is off with your friends story.
+1

[Josh Runkle]

I have a friend at work who travels a lot internationally for business reasons. He just applied for passport renewal. He has been summoned to a meeting by the Federal government to explain "why he has so many guns" before passport will be renewed.

I suspect he got flagged due to his international travel; however, how does the State Department know that he has multiple guns? I thought that it was illegal to have a Federal firearm database?

This story doesn't sound right to me.

However, if it is true, I'd love to hear specific details of the outcome. What agency is asking this information? Department of State? Are they worried about an ITAR violation?

[TAZ]

I too am in the something isn't right with the story. Renewed my passport a year ago and no questions asked. But then TX doesn't have a database to share AFAIK. Unless your friend talks too much and got someone's panties in a bunch; I don't see why state would give a crap.

Your friend should document everything that is stated, written before, during and after the interview. If he can prove he is being harassed and had his civil rights violated due to legal activities he will never again have to travel for work; or work for that matter.

[Odin Bravo One]

I have multiple passports, am off to a respectable start with my firearms collection, have been known to travel internationally on occassion, including trips with a variety of arms. I have never had issue with renewing a passport.

There are important pieces and parts of the story missing here.

[RJ]

Hm.

Headed into Ontario last month in the Camper, I was asked by Canadian border guard 'did I own guns in the U.S.' I said, yes.

This was followed up by 'Do you have any on board?' To which I said, no (I dropped off what I normally carry with the son in law in NC on the way up from Fl. )

We were waived over to have a 'random' secondary interview with another officer. They asked a few more questions, never asked to see inside.

We both got our FL CWL last year. This has never happened to me entering Canada, ever.

Does anyone know, would the State or Federal government 'know' about CWL and somehow inform the Canadians?

Or maybe it was just random...?


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[OnionsAndDragons]

I can understand the actual questioning at a border checkpoint. That makes some sense. But not for issuance of a passport alone.


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[pangloss]

I can understand the actual questioning at a border checkpoint. That makes some sense. But not for issuance of a passport alone.


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I think it's an intrusive question even at the border. If you want to know if I'm bringing a gun in, ask me, or search my vehicle (or luggage or person). Whether or not there are guns in my house in Kansas should have no bearing on a visit to Canada or any other international travel.

[RJ]

I think it's an intrusive question even at the border. If you want to know if I'm bringing a gun in, ask me, or search my vehicle (or luggage or person). Whether or not there are guns in my house in Kansas should have no bearing on a visit to Canada or any other international travel.

This was kind of my thought as well.

[OnionsAndDragons]

I agree it's still a dick move to ask at the border; just that I'd afford more leeway for dick questions at an actual checkpoint.

Hope that makes sense.


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[Dagga Boy]

My canned answer is "guns scare me". This is true as I don't like people pointing them at me because it scares me. I have found this answer usually stops in further questions about guns.....because we don't want people to feel uncomfortable.

[Hambo]

I have a friend at work who travels a lot internationally for business reasons. He just applied for passport renewal. He has been summoned to a meeting by the Federal government to explain "why he has so many guns" before passport will be renewed.

I suspect he got flagged due to his international travel; however, how does the State Department know that he has multiple guns? I thought that it was illegal to have a Federal firearm database?

Unless you see paper I wouldn't believe a word of it. Your friend could be under investigation. He could be lying because he thinks you'll support a gun issue more than a heroin issue. He could be making it all up. If the story doesn't make sense, look at who's telling the story.

[Chuck Whitlock]

My canned answer is "guns scare me". This is true as I don't like people pointing them at me because it scares me. I have found this answer usually stops in further questions about guns.....because we don't want people to feel uncomfortable.



Dude, I am so stealing this!