TSA PreCheck – Cost, Renewal, Locations, Application, Benefits, Airports, & Airlines in 2024

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There is good news if you find it a hassle navigating traditional security lines at the airport. TSA PreCheck allows you to go through a usually shorter line while not having to remove your shoes, belt, liquids bag, laptop, and light jacket. While the service can save you a ton of time and reduce travel-related anxiety, there is an $78 fee to apply (recently reduced from $85).

Here is what you need to know so you can decide if TSA PreCheck is right for you.

What is TSA PreCheck?

TSA PreCheck was established in October of 2011 by the Transportation Security Administration for low-risk travelers. With 15 million members and growing, the program is perfect for both personal and business travelers who wish to get through security as quickly and stress-free as possible. It is one of the five United States Trusted Traveler Programs, which also includes the following.

• Global Entry
• NEXUS
• SENTRI
• FAST

In May of 2023, the TSA said 89 percent of PreCheck passengers made it through security in less than five minutes, which is considerably faster than traditional lines. With PreCheck, you do not have to remove your shoes, laptop, 3-1-1 liquids bag, belts, and light jacket. You will also go through a metal detector as opposed to a body scanner.

How Much Does TSA PreCheck Cost? 

It will cost you $78 to apply. Unfortunately, you will not receive a refund if you are denied. If approved, your membership will be valid for five years, after which you can renew for another five years for $70 if you do it online. Payment is accepted during your interview at the enrollment center, and you can pay by credit card, money order, company checks, and certified/cashier’s checks.

Further Reading: TSA PreCheck Renewal Guide.

Best Credit Cards Offering Reimbursement for the Application Fee

The good news is a variety of different travel-focused credit cards offer 100 percent reimbursement for the $78 TSA PreCheck application fee and $70 online renewal fee. The bad news is most of the cards providing this benefit have an annual fee. While the PreCheck reimbursement may pay the annual fee by itself for the first year, we recommend choosing the card that is right for your own travel needs and budget. Here are a few of our favorite cards offering reimbursement.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express (Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee; $695 annual fee.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (every four years; $95 annual fee)
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (every four years; $395 annual fee)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (every four years; $550 annual fee)
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (every five years; $595 annual fee)
• Mastercard® Black Card™ ($495 annual fee)
• Mastercard® Gold Card™ ($995 annual fee)

While some of those card’s annual fees may seem high, many of them offer travel statement credits upwards of $300 or more. See our full article on the best credit cards for TSA PreCheck reimbursement.

Further Reading:

• Amex Platinum Card Benefits
• Capital One Venture Card Benefits
• Capital One Venture X Card Benefits
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® Benefits

Give Your PreCheck Credit Card Reimbursement to a Friend

If you already have PreCheck and a friend or family member wants to sign up, you can give them your credit card reimbursement. All you need is one of the credit cards listed above and have them use it as their payment method. There is no rule stating only the credit card holder can receive the reimbursement, so you are free to transfer it as you please.

Do I Have to Become a Member to Receive PreCheck?

To introduce more people to the advantages of PreCheck, the TSA randomly offered the service to many nonmembers when the program first started in 2011. While there is still a chance you can get PreCheck as a nonmember (I got it in March of 2019 before I became a member), the TSA cut back on this practice in 2017, according to CNBC.

As a Member, Will I Always Have Access to the PreCheck Line?

Unfortunately, no, but you will probably have PreCheck on your boarding pass for the majority of your flights. For reasons only known to the TSA, sometimes you will have to go through the traditional security line despite being a member of PreCheck. You may also have to go through additional security screening measures.

Further Reading: How to Get Through TSA Airport Security Faster

Applying for TSA PreCheck

Applying for PreCheck is quick and easy (it should take 5-10 minutes), but only U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and select U.S. Nationals are eligible for approval after a background check.

Go to the TSA website and click Apply Now. The first page of the application asks basic questions such as your full legal name, gender, date of birth, preferred language, email address, phone number, and preferred method of contact. You must use your full name as it will appear on your airline reservations. 

The second page asks for your city and country of birth, as well as your country of citizenship.

As you go through the application, you will also be asked for your address, height, weight, hair color, and eye color, and other important information. 

Scheduling and Attending Your Interview

After completing the application, you will then have the opportunity to schedule an interview at more than 500 enrollment centers. While walk-ins are welcome, the TSA recommends scheduling an appointment because enrollment centers may be busy.

At the interview, be sure to bring a form of payment as well as required documents to prove your identity and citizenship. If you have a U.S. Passport Book/Card or an Enhanced Driver’s License, you should be able to just bring one of those. If you only have a state-issued Driver’s License or State ID Card, you are going to have to bring another form of ID such as a birth certificate or expired U.S. Passport. To be safe, we recommend using the required docs link above to be sure you have everything required.

The interview is short and mainly done to verify your documents and information. Your fingerprints and a photograph will also be taken. If approved, you will receive written notification a few weeks after your interview. You can also check the status of your application online if you want to find out sooner.

Using PreCheck With Your Known Traveler Number (KTN)

After approval, you will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN). This number links your PreCheck membership to your airline reservation. When booking a flight, simply enter your KTN in the required field. For flights booked prior to PreCheck approval, you can update your current reservation with your KTN online or by calling the airline. 

For convenience sake, we recommend updating your frequent flyer profile with your KTN in the required field. Doing this will automatically insert it into any new bookings that you make in the future. For existing flights, you still have to update any current bookings with your KTN.

Confirm TSA PreCheck is on Your Boarding Pass

As a member of TSA PreCheck, you will not receive an ID card. Instead, your KTN grants you access to the expedited lines. As detailed above, you should enter your KTN in your airline reservation. If successful, your boarding pass will show TSA PreCheck on it granting you full access. You will not have access to the line unless your boarding pass has the indicator on it.

If your boarding pass does not have the TSA PreCheck indicator, you should call your airline. You may have forgotten to enter your KTN on the particular flight reservation, or you may have entered it incorrectly. It is also important that your name and birthdate on the airline reservation match exactly how it was written on your PreCheck application.

As previously mentioned, in some cases you will not be eligible for the expedited lines on a particular flight despite being a member of the program and entering everything correctly. This is normal and entirely up to the TSA.

Using PreCheck With a Third-Party Booking Service

If you booked your flight with a third-party booking service, such as Expedia or a travel agent, you can still use PreCheck. On occasion, your KTN may not transfer to the airline or there may not be a place to enter it.

You should call the airline or check online to see if your KTN was properly submitted to them. If it was not, they will easily be able to update your reservation with your KTN and verify the rest of your information.

Is PreCheck Available at Every U.S. Airport and Airline?

Not yet. Currently, it is available at more than 200 airports and 73 different airlines. Expect this list to expand in the future, but here are the current locations.

Airports

Below, you can find a list of the busiest airports in the United States participating in PreCheck.

Austin-Bergstrom Int’l Airport (AUS)	Baltimore- Washington Int’l Airport (BWI)	Boston- Logan Int’l Airport (BOS)
Charlotte-Douglas Int’l Airport (CLT)	Chicago Midway Int’l Airport (MDW)	Chicago O’Hare Int’l Airport (ORD)
Dallas Love Field (DAL)	Dallas/Ft. Worth Int’l Airport (DFW)	Denver Int’l Airport (DEN)
Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)	Ft. Lauderdale- Hollywood Int’l Airport (FLL)	Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int’l Airport (ATL)
Honolulu Int’l Airport (HNL)	Houston – G. Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH)	Las Vegas – McCarran Int’l Airport (LAS)
Los Angeles Int’l Airport (LAX)	Miami Int’l Airport (MIA)	Minneapolis- St. Paul Int’l Airport (MSP)
Nashville Int’l Airport (BNA)	New York – John F. Kennedy Int’l Airport (JFK)	New York – LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Newark Liberty Int’l Airport (EWR)	Orlando Int’l Airport (MCO)	Philadelphia Int’l Airport (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l Airport (PHX)	Portland Int’l Airport (PDX)	Salt Lake City Int’l Airport (SLC)
San Diego Int’l Airport (SAN)	San Francisco Int’l Airport (SFO)	Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport-SeaTac (SEA)
Tampa Int’l Airport (TPA)	Washington National Airport (DCA)	Washington-Dulles Int’l Airport (IAD)

See the full list of more than 200 airports participating in PreCheck.

Airlines

Aeromexico	Air Canada	Air France
Air India	Air Serbia	Alaska Airlines
Alitalia	All Nippon Airways	Allegiant Air
American Airlines	Aruba Airlines	Asiana Airlines
Austrian Airlines	Avianca	Azul Airlines
Boutique Airlines	British Airways	Brussels Airlines
Cape Air	Cathay Pacific Airways	China Airlines
Condor Airlines	Contour Aviation	Copa Airlines
Delta Air Lines	Eastern Airlines	Edelweiss Air
Elite Airways	Emirates	Etihad Airways
EVA Air	Finnair	Flycana
Frontier Airlines	Hawaiian Airlines	Icelandair
Inter Caribbean Airways	Interjet	Japan Airlines
JetBlue Airways	Key Lime Air	KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Korean Air	Lufthansa	Miami Air Int’l
Norwegian Air	PAL Express	Philippine Airlines
Porter Airlines	Qantas	Qatar Airways
Scandinavian Airlines	Seaborne Airlines	Silver Airways
Singapore Airlines	Southern Airways Exp.	Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines	Sun Country Airlines	Sunclass
Sunwing Airlines	Swift Air	Swiss Int’l Air Lines
Swoop	TAP Air Portugal	Turkish Airlines
United Airlines	Virgin Atlantic	VivaAerobus
Volaris	WestJet	World Atlantic
Xtra Airways

Is PreCheck Available 24/7?

PreCheck lanes are not currently available 24/7. Depending on the day and airport, certain terminals may close their lines earlier than others. The good news is you can still receive expedited screening by showing the indicator on your boarding pass in a traditional lane if the PreCheck one is closed. You can check current schedules at the TSA website.

Will The Rest of My Party Have Access to PreCheck Lines?

Officially, only those in your party who are members of the PreCheck program will receive it. Anecdotally, we have seen every person in a party receive PreCheck if they are all on the same reservation as the booking member. Children 12 and under who are traveling with you are always allowed to use PreCheck lines if it appears on your boarding pass. Children 13 and older must go through the traditional security lines if their boarding pass does not have the indicator.

Is TSA PreCheck Available During International Flights?

Since PreCheck is run by the United States-based Transportation Security Administration, it is only available on domestic flights and flights taking off from the United States. That means you will be eligible for PreCheck lines when traveling internationally from the United States but not when returning home from a foreign country.

Global Entry Includes TSA PreCheck But Costs More

If you plan on traveling internationally in the next five years, it may make sense to sign up for Global Entry instead of PreCheck. The application fee is $100, and your membership will be valid for five years upon approval. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck as well as expedited entry through customs when returning to the United States via kiosks or the new Global Entry mobile app. Even if you do not have any current plans to travel internationally in the near future, it may still make sense to pay the extra $15 just in case.

I became a member of Global Entry in the summer of 2019, and I am loving the benefits. While the interview is tougher to schedule (there are fewer enrollment centers) than the PreCheck appointment, it is possible to get it sooner if you follow a few tips. To access PreCheck with your Global Entry account, enter your PASSID in the Known Traveler Field when booking airline reservations.

The credit cards list above also reimburses the $100 application fee for Global Entry, so you can essentially get it for free using one of those cards.

Further Reading: TSA PreCheck vs. Global Entry

NEXUS and SENTRI Also Include PreCheck for Certain Members

Trusted Traveler Programs NEXUS and SENTRI also include TSA PreCheck for certain members. NEXUS members who are U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and Canadian citizens have access to PreCheck. SENTRI members who are U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful permanent residents may use PreCheck.

Stack TSA PreCheck With CLEAR For An Even Faster Experience

Before entering the traditional or PreCheck security screening area, you have to wait in another line to verify your boarding pass and identification with a TSA agent. Even if you have PreCheck, you may have to wait in a long line to reach the agent. 

CLEAR is a system that allows you to confirm your identity at the airport using your eyes or fingerprints. This is done at a kiosk, and it is only available for members. After confirming your identity, you will then go straight to the security bins in the traditional or PreCheck line.

It costs $189 per year, so it is not exactly cheap. It is available at over 65 airports, stadiums, and other locations that may have long wait times, so it may be worth it for you.

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts + Cheat Sheet

Becoming a member of TSA PreCheck is a smart decision for anyone who dislikes going through traditional security screening lines. Getting your credit card to reimburse you for the $78 application fee is even smarter, but be aware of high annual fees.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Featured Image via Transportation Security Administration