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By following the steps and advice outlined in this ebook, you’ll be well-equipped to successfully navigate the TSA PreCheck application process and enjoy a more seamless airport security experience. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or simply looking to save time during your occasional trips, TSA PreCheck is an invaluable resource that can make your travel experience smoother and less stressful.
Welcome to “The Ultimate Guide to TSA PreCheck”! This comprehensive ebook is designed to help American citizens navigate the TSA PreCheck process from start to finish. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you will be well on your way to experiencing a more efficient and stress-free airport security experience.
TSA PreCheck is a program offered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to expedite the security screening process for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. It is available at more than 200 airports across the United States and is accepted by over 70 airlines.
There are several benefits to becoming a TSA PreCheck member, including:
To be eligible for TSA PreCheck, you must meet the following criteria:
To apply for TSA PreCheck, you will need the following documents:
During your in-person interview at the enrollment center, a TSA agent will:
If your application is approved, you will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN). To use your TSA PreCheck benefits, add your KTN to your airline reservations when booking flights. Your boarding pass will then display the TSA PreCheck indicator, allowing you to access the TSA PreCheck security lanes.
TSA PreCheck membership is valid for five years. To renew your membership, visit the TSA PreCheck website and follow the renewal instructions.
Chapter 10: Tips for a Smooth TSA PreCheck Experience
TOP 50 Top questions and awesome tips that will help you become a member of the TSA Precheck program.
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Yes, TSA is committed to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people, including LGBTQIA+. Individuals who apply for TSA PreCheck®, including persons utilizing a non-binary and gender non-conforming identity document, may self-select Male, Female, or Another Gender as their gender when applying for TSA PreCheck®.
Yes. If you commit certain violations of federal security regulations, such as assault, threat, intimidation, or interference with flight crew, physical or sexual assault or threat of physical or sexual assault of any individual on an aircraft, interference with security operations, access control violations, providing false or fraudulent documents, making a bomb threat, or bringing a firearm, explosive, or other prohibited item to an airport or onboard an aircraft, you are denied expedited screening for a period of time. The duration of disqualification from participation in TSA PreCheck® is related to the seriousness of the violation and/or a repeated history of regulatory violations. Membership suspension can last up to five years for a first time offense or be permanent for egregious incidents or repeat offenses.
TSA PreCheck® enrollees undergo recurrent criminal history vetting as a condition of their TSA PreCheck® enrollment. Temporary suspensions may occur as a result of recurrent vetting. Resolution typically takes less than 30 days, but can take up to 90 days. TSA PreCheck® enrollees found to have committed a disqualifying offense may have their TSA PreCheck® enrollment temporarily suspended or permanently disqualified, depending on the severity of the offense.
If you are unclear why you are not receiving the TSA PreCheck® indicator on your boarding pass, first check that your membership has not expired by looking up your KTN (Known Traveler Number) here.
If your KTN is still active, confirm with your airline that your KTN, name, and date of birth are accurate.
If you still do not have a TSA PreCheck® indicator on your boarding pass, or if you have questions concerning your TSA PreCheck® status, call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673, submit an online form, or contact us at @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook Messenger. If you received a notice of violation, please contact your case agent.
Please note: TSA uses unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, throughout the airport. All travelers will be screened, and no individual is guaranteed expedited screening.
It depends on their age and whether they are traveling with a parent or guardian who has enrolled in TSA PreCheck:
Please note, adults using gate passes to accompany children traveling alone will be directed to standard screening as gate passes are excluded from TSA PreCheck benefits. This applies even if the gate pass holder has enrolled in TSA PreCheck. The adult will not be permitted to join the child in the TSA PreCheck lane.
Please note, no individual is guaranteed expedited screening because TSA uses unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, throughout the airport. All travelers will be screened, and no individual is guaranteed expedited screening.
Yes, TSA requires all names used, current and past. You do not need to provide documents that prove you have previously used another name or alias. The name provided on the TSA PreCheck® application must be the name used when making your airline travel reservations. The name on your application must be an exact match to the name on the identification and proof of citizenship/immigration documents you provide at enrollment.
No, the gender on your identification documents does not need to match the gender you select on your TSA PreCheck Application.
No. You will receive TSA PreCheck® screening even if your current gender differs from the gender you provided when you enrolled in TSA PreCheck®, as long as the name, KTN and date of birth on your reservation match the name, KTN and date of birth on record with TSA.
Yes. The name submitted on your airline reservation must be an exact match to the name you provided on your application. If you use a frequent flyer account or online travel profile, ensure that your name is properly saved. If you included your middle name in your TSA PreCheck application, you must add it when booking your airline reservation.
While TSA does not offer any assistance with application fee costs, several credit cards and loyalty programs do. Click here to see what programs participate.
No, you can select any gender option on the TSA PreCheck® application, even if the gender you self-select does not match the gender on your supporting documentation (such as birth certificate, passport, or state ID). You can self-select Male, Female, or Another Gender as your gender.
Find all active TSA PreCheck® enrollment provider locations by entering a zip code in the search box.
Find an enrollment center for Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI by first selecting the state where you wish to visit an enrollment center.
Visit tsa.gov/precheck to select the enrollment provider that best meets your needs and has an enrollment location near you. You can pre-enroll online and make an appointment for the in-person process, or walk-in to an enrollment center without an appointment.
The online application takes five minutes to complete with the in-person visit taking 10 minutes. During the in-person process, the enrollment provider will collect your biometric data (fingerprints, photo), verify identity documents, and collect payment.
Any website that claims to allow consumers to register for TSA PreCheck that does not end in “.gov” is not an official TSA PreCheck website. Consumers who are applying for TSA PreCheck for the first time cannot pay the application fee online, they must complete their application and pay in-person at a TSA enrollment center. First time applicants are not asked to provide payment information online.
Before you apply, we recommend that you review the various DHS trusted traveler programs: TSA PreCheck® Application Program, Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI, to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements and determine the best program for you. If you travel internationally four or more times a year, consider enrolling in Global Entry. If you take less than four international trips a year, TSA PreCheck is a great choice for domestic travelers.
If you are a member of the TSA PreCheck® Application Program, you may request a gender data update through the enrollment provider you initially applied with. Click here to find contact details for all enrollment providers or to look up your enrollment provider. Please note, updating your gender is not required to receive TSA PreCheck® screening. You are eligible to receive TSA PreCheck® screening even if your current gender differs from the gender you provided when you enrolled in TSA PreCheck®, as long as the name and date of birth on your reservation match the name and date of birth on record with TSA.
Most applicants receive their Known Traveler Number (KTN) in 3-5 days, though some applications can take up to 60 days. Applicants can receive updates on their enrollment application status by email, phone, text or by checking online through the enrollment provider they applied with. If you’ve forgotten who you enrolled through, click here.
TSA has strict requirements and protects all applicants’ data. No applicant information can be used for any purpose other than TSA PreCheck enrollment and vetting without the prior consent of the applicant. Please note, you can opt-in or opt-out to receive marketing promotions / communications at any time through your enrollment provider. TSA also protects your data by ensuring it is encrypted, stored and transmitted securely using methods that protect the information from unauthorized retrieval or use.
The name on your application must be an exact match to the name on the identification and proof of citizenship/immigration documents you provide at enrollment. The name provided must be the name used when making your airline travel reservations.
The fee maintains your eligibility for a period of 5 years, and covers the operational costs associated with the TSA PreCheck® Application Program. For in-depth information on the TSA component of the fee, please see the TSA PreCheck® Application Program TSA Component Fee Development Report.
Participating airlines display a TSA PreCheck® indicator directly on your boarding pass if you are eligible for TSA PreCheck based on your provided Known Traveler Number (KTN). Please ensure you add your KTN to your airline reservation while booking the reservation. If you do not have a valid boarding pass with a TSA PreCheck indicator on it, you cannot access the TSA PreCheck lane. If you believe you should have the TSA PreCheck indicator on your boarding pass but did not receive it, please call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673, submit an online form, or contact us at @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook Messenger.
If you or someone you know believes they have fallen victim to a scam, report it to your local police department and file a report at the Federal Trade Commission’s website, ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Additionally, contact your bank or credit card company immediately and inform them of the fraudulent charge. Please note, TSA will not issue a reimbursement to applicants who attempt to enroll in TSA PreCheck® through a fraudulent website.
No. Medical certification is not required to change the gender options on your TSA PreCheck® application. If you are a member of the TSA PreCheck® Application Program, you may request a gender data update through the enrollment provider you initially applied with. Click here to find contact details for all enrollment providers or to look up your enrollment provider. Please note, updating your gender is not required to receive TSA PreCheck® screening. You are eligible to receive TSA PreCheck® screening even if your current gender differs from the gender you provided when you enrolled in TSA PreCheck®, as long as the name and date of birth on your reservation match the name and date of birth on record with TSA.
The name provided on your TSA PreCheck application and the identification and proof of citizenship/immigration documents provided at enrollment must be the exact name used when making your airline travel reservations. If your name includes a hyphen (e.g. Billings-Smith) or an apostrophe (e.g. O’Sullivan), please ensure to fill your first, middle and last name in the appropriate boxes when completing the airline reservation (e.g. Amelia Louise O’Sullivan).
If you are a member of the TSA PreCheck® Application Program, please contact the enrollment provider you applied with. Click here for the enrollment provider contact information to make changes to your name, address, or other information contained in your records. You will be provided information regarding documentation needed to process the change.
If you change your name and do not update your TSA PreCheck membership to match the new details, you will not be able to use your TSA PreCheck benefits when traveling until the name change process is completed.
When enrolling, be sure to check with your specific enrollment provider for all accepted payment methods. Several credit cards offer assistance with enrollment costs.
Click here to learn more about what documents you are required to bring when applying for TSA PreCheck®.
You can select the gender on your TSA PreCheck® application that is most appropriate for you – Male, Female, or Another Gender. TSA will not require supporting documentation regarding your selection of gender. Medical certification or a physician’s letter is not required when enrolling with a gender that does not match the gender on your identification documents.
The gender on your identification document does not have to match the gender you select on your TSA PreCheck® application. You can select Male, Female, or Another Gender as your gender when applying for TSA PreCheck®.
The TSA PreCheck® Application Program is only open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents. Applicants may be ineligible due to incomplete or false application information, certain violations of federal security regulations, or disqualifying criminal offenses and factors.
Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI allow some foreign citizens to apply. You can find more information on all programs here.
All travelers, including TSA PreCheck® enrollees, must have a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification (e.g., passport) in order to fly once TSA is enforcing the REAL ID requirement at airports.
To obtain a REAL ID, contact your state’s driver’s licensing agency.
Learn more about REAL ID by reviewing REAL ID FAQs.
No, there is no TSA PreCheck card. Travelers should enter their Known Traveler Number in their airline reservation to receive a TSA PreCheck® indicator on their boarding pass.