If you fly more than two or three times a year, TSA PreCheck is the single best $77 you will spend on travel. It cuts your average security wait from 20+ minutes down to under 10 (under 5 at most airports), lets you keep your belt on and your laptop and 3-1-1 liquids bag packed, and is good for five years.

The problem: the application process has just enough steps to confuse first-timers — online form, in-person appointment, fingerprints, background check, KTN delivery — and people put it off for years. Here is exactly how to get it done in under a week.

What TSA PreCheck Costs in 2026

PreCheck has two pricing tiers depending on which approved enrollment provider you use:

  • IDEMIA (TSA’s original provider): $77.95 for a 5-year membership ($85.25 for renewal at brick-and-mortar centers, $70 online for renewals)
  • Telos / Idemia Enrollment Services: same range
  • CLEAR-affiliated enrollment: similar pricing, sometimes bundled with CLEAR Plus

That works out to about $15.60 per year. For perspective, the average traveler saves 15+ minutes per security screening — over 5 years and even a handful of trips, that math is absurd.

Get PreCheck reimbursed for free

Many credit cards reimburse the application fee as a benefit:

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve — full $77 reimbursement every 4 years
  • American Express Platinum — full reimbursement every 4.5 years
  • Capital One Venture X — full reimbursement every 4 years
  • Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite — full reimbursement every 4 years
  • United Explorer / Club, Delta SkyMiles Platinum & Reserve, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, and many more — check your benefits

If you have one of these cards already, charge the fee to that card and the credit posts within 1–2 statement cycles.

Who Can Apply

You qualify for TSA PreCheck if you are:

  • A US citizen, US national, or lawful permanent resident
  • Free of certain disqualifying offenses (espionage, terrorism, treason, sedition, murder, and a set of felonies that only disqualify you for 7 years from conviction or 5 years from release). Our guide to TSA PreCheck disqualifying offenses and appeals breaks down both tiers, and why a standard DUI is not on either one
  • Not on a federal watchlist

You do not need PreCheck to fly. You do not need to be a frequent flyer. Anyone meeting the citizenship and background requirements is eligible.

What about kids?

Children 12 and under can use the PreCheck lane with a parent who has it — no separate application needed. Children 13–17 need their own KTN to use the PreCheck lane, but can fly on a parent’s PreCheck-marked reservation.

What about non-citizens?

Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can apply for TSA PreCheck. Other visa holders cannot enroll in PreCheck — but Global Entry is open to citizens of many partner countries (Mexico, the UK, Germany, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, India, and more), and Global Entry includes PreCheck. If you are not a US citizen, Global Entry is the path.

The 4-Step Application Process

Step 1 — Apply online (5 minutes)

Go to tsa.gov/precheck and click “Apply Now.” You will pick an approved enrollment provider (IDEMIA is the most common; CLEAR-affiliated enrollment is newer and may be easier to find an appointment at).

You will fill out:

  • Legal name, date of birth, address, citizenship
  • Contact info
  • Employment info (basic — current employer name)
  • Travel document info (passport optional but speeds enrollment)
  • Disqualifying offenses disclosure (be honest — the background check finds everything)

The online form takes about 5 minutes. You will be asked to schedule an in-person appointment at the end.

Step 2 — Schedule an in-person enrollment appointment

You must appear in person at an enrollment center to give fingerprints and verify your ID. There are over 500 enrollment centers nationwide, plus pop-up enrollment events at some Staples and FedEx locations.

Where the centers are:

  • IDEMIA centers — usually inside select Staples, FedEx Office, and IdentoGO offices
  • CLEAR enrollment kiosks at some major airports
  • Standalone enrollment centers in mid-size and large cities

Use the provider’s locator (linked from tsa.gov/precheck) to find the closest one. In big metros, appointments fill up 2–4 weeks out, so book the moment you finish the online form. Smaller cities often have next-day or same-week openings.

Pro tip: check appointments for centers 30–60 minutes from your house. People often find that a center two suburbs over has openings tomorrow when their nearest one is booked for a month.

Step 3 — Attend your appointment (10–15 minutes)

Bring two forms of ID:

  1. Required: a valid, unexpired US passport OR a US driver’s license PLUS a US birth certificate
  2. Permanent residents: green card plus one supporting document

The full list of acceptable IDs is on the TSA site — check it before going. Showing up with the wrong documents means rebooking.

At the appointment they will:

  • Verify your identity and documents
  • Take your fingerprints (digital, no ink)
  • Snap a photo
  • Collect the $77.95 fee (credit/debit card)
  • Confirm your application info

The whole appointment is usually 10–15 minutes if you arrive on time with the right documents.

Step 4 — Wait for approval

Most applicants receive their Known Traveler Number (KTN) within 3–5 days by email. TSA officially says it can take up to 60 days, but the vast majority arrive within a week.

If your background check turns up something that needs review, you may get a letter requesting more information. Respond promptly to keep things moving.

What to Do With Your KTN

Your KTN is a 9-digit identifier that tells the airline to print “TSA PRE✓” on your boarding pass.

Add your KTN to every airline frequent-flyer profile — American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Alaska Mileage Plan, JetBlue TrueBlue. Once it is in your profile, every booking under that number automatically tags your boarding pass for PreCheck.

If you book without an account, you can also enter your KTN at the time of booking under “Known Traveler Number” or “TSA PreCheck” in the passenger info section.

For existing reservations: log in, edit the passenger details, add the KTN, and save. Then re-check your boarding pass — it should show the indicator.

If it still does not appear, the cause is usually a name mismatch, a wrong date of birth, or a non-participating operating carrier. Our guide to why TSA PreCheck is not showing on your boarding pass walks through all seven causes and the fix for each.

How to Verify You Got PreCheck on Your Boarding Pass

Look for one of these on your boarding pass:

  • “TSA PRE✓” or “TSA PreCheck” printed somewhere on the face
  • A specific code in the lower-right corner of the barcode area: airlines vary, but the indicator is usually visible

If your boarding pass is missing the indicator after you added your KTN to the booking, your name on the reservation may not exactly match the name on your PreCheck record (middle name or suffix mismatch is the usual culprit). Call the airline before heading to the airport.

The other possibility: check the pass for the letters SSSS. That means you were selected for secondary screening, which overrides PreCheck entirely and removes the indicator no matter how correct your KTN is. See our guide to what SSSS means for what to expect and how much extra time to budget.

You cannot use the PreCheck lane without the indicator on your boarding pass — KTN alone is not enough.

TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry vs CLEAR

If you are reading this because you want to skip lines, you should know about the alternatives:

  • TSA PreCheck — $77/5 yrs — domestic security only, ~200 US airports
  • Global Entry — $120/5 yrs — includes PreCheck PLUS expedited US Customs reentry on international flights
  • CLEAR Plus — $189/yr — biometric ID verification that gets you to the front of any security line; works alongside PreCheck

If you fly internationally even once a year, Global Entry is the obvious pick at only $43 more for 5 years. If you fly out of CLEAR-served airports during peak hours often, CLEAR + PreCheck is the combo that gets you through fastest.

Full breakdowns:

Renewing TSA PreCheck

Your membership lasts 5 years. Renew online starting 6 months before expiration:

  1. Go to tsa.gov/precheck
  2. Choose “Renew”
  3. Verify your info — most renewals do not require a new in-person appointment
  4. Pay $70 (online renewal is $7 cheaper than in-person)
  5. New KTN typically arrives within 3–5 days

If TSA flags your renewal for additional review, you may need to do an in-person appointment again. This happens to a small percentage of renewals.

Don’t let it expire. Once expired, you have to go through the full new-applicant process again, including an in-person appointment.

Common Application Problems

”I scheduled an appointment but the nearest one is 3 weeks out”

This is the #1 complaint. Try:

  • Checking centers 30–60 minutes farther away
  • Booking for any time of day — early morning and late afternoon slots open up most often
  • Checking the booking site at off-hours (10 PM, 6 AM) when other people aren’t refreshing
  • Looking at pop-up enrollment events listed on the IDEMIA site

”My background check is taking longer than 5 days”

If you have lived outside the US, have a common name, or have any prior arrests (even non-disqualifying ones), reviews can take 30–60 days. Be patient. If 60 days pass with no update, contact TSA at the number on your enrollment receipt. See what a pending or denied PreCheck application actually means for when to worry and how to appeal.

”My boarding pass doesn’t show PreCheck even with my KTN”

Usually a name-mismatch issue. The name on your reservation must match the name on your PreCheck record character-for-character — including middle names, suffixes, and hyphens. Fix the reservation name (call the airline) or update your PreCheck record at tsa.gov.

If the pass shows SSSS instead, that is a different problem: you were selected for secondary security screening, which suspends PreCheck for that flight. Nothing is wrong with your KTN.

”I have PreCheck but the line is still long”

It happens, especially at peak hours and major hubs. PreCheck lines can hit 20+ minutes during holiday rush at ATL, LAX, JFK, and ORD. Always check live wait times before assuming PreCheck will save you.

”I forgot my KTN”

Look it up at universalenroll.dhs.gov using your name, date of birth, and a few security questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does TSA PreCheck cost in 2026?

$77.95 for 5 years for new applicants at IDEMIA enrollment centers; $70 for online renewals. Many credit cards reimburse the fee fully — Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X, and others.

How long does TSA PreCheck approval take?

Most applicants get their KTN within 3–5 days of their in-person appointment. TSA’s official maximum is 60 days, and a small percentage of applicants do hit that window if their background check needs additional review.

Is TSA PreCheck worth it?

If you fly more than twice a year, almost certainly yes. The fee works out to under $16 per year, and you save 15+ minutes per security screening on average. You also keep your belt on and your laptop and liquids bag packed, which is the underrated half of the value. For a full cost-benefit breakdown, including who should skip it, see is TSA PreCheck worth it?

Can I bring family members through the PreCheck lane?

Children 12 and under can use PreCheck with a parent who has it, no separate application needed. Children 13–17 need their own KTN. Adult companions need their own PreCheck — they cannot tag along on yours. See our family TSA guide.

What’s the difference between PreCheck and Global Entry?

Global Entry includes PreCheck plus expedited US Customs reentry from international flights. It costs $120 for 5 years (vs $77 for PreCheck alone). If you fly internationally even once every few years, Global Entry is the better deal.

Do I need to apply if I have Global Entry?

No. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck. Just make sure your Global Entry KTN is in your airline profiles.

Can I get PreCheck same-day at the airport?

No. PreCheck requires an in-person enrollment appointment plus a background check that takes days to complete. CLEAR Plus can be enrolled at airport kiosks the same day, but CLEAR is a different service — biometric ID verification, not the streamlined screening that PreCheck provides.

What happens if I move?

Update your address at tsa.gov/precheck. Your KTN stays the same — it is tied to you, not your address.

What if I’m not a US citizen?

Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can apply for PreCheck directly. Most other non-citizens cannot — but if your country is a Global Entry partner, Global Entry is the alternative path and includes PreCheck.

Got PreCheck? Use it smartly. Even with PreCheck, peak-hour lines at major hubs can still be 20+ minutes during holiday rushes. Before you head to the airport, look up your airport on Airport TSA Times to see when its checkpoints are busiest, from TSA’s own hourly counts.