Known Traveler Number: How to Apply and Find Yours

A Known Traveler Number is a nine- or ten-digit ID issued by the Department of Homeland Security after you enroll in one of its Trusted Traveler Programs. You enter it when booking a flight, and if your name and date of birth match your enrollment record, the TSA PreCheck indicator prints on your boarding pass and you use the expedited security lane.1Transportation Security Administration. What Is a Known Traveler Number (KTN)?

Which Program to Enroll In

Four federal programs issue a KTN. Choosing the right one is mostly about where you fly.

  • TSA PreCheck, run by the Transportation Security Administration, covers expedited screening at U.S. airports for domestic and outbound international flights. You keep your shoes and belt on and leave laptops and liquids in your bag.2Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck
  • Global Entry, run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, expedites customs on arrival in the U.S. and automatically includes TSA PreCheck.3Transportation Security Administration. What Is the Difference Between Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and the Other Trusted Traveler Programs?
  • NEXUS speeds up U.S.-Canada crossings by air, land, and sea, and includes Global Entry and TSA PreCheck benefits.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. NEXUS
  • SENTRI is built for frequent U.S.-Mexico land crossings and also gives members Global Entry kiosk access and TSA PreCheck.5U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Benefits of SENTRI

If you fly internationally even a few times a year, Global Entry is usually the better pick over standalone TSA PreCheck because it bundles both. Domestic-only fliers can stick with TSA PreCheck.

Members of the three CBP programs receive a CBP PASS ID that also functions as their KTN.1Transportation Security Administration. What Is a Known Traveler Number (KTN)?

What It Costs and How Long It Lasts

Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI each cost $120.6U.S. Customs and Border Protection. How to Apply for Global Entry7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Non-Refundable Application Fee – NEXUS8U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Non-Refundable Application Fee – SENTRI TSA PreCheck starts at $78 and varies by enrollment provider.9Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck All fees are non-refundable and every membership lasts five years.10Transportation Security Administration. How Long Does My TSA PreCheck Membership Last?

Many premium travel credit cards reimburse the application fee as a statement credit, typically up to $120 every four or five years. Check your card’s benefits before paying out of pocket.

How to Apply

Applying takes an online form, a background check, and a short in-person appointment. Most people finish in a few weeks, though appointment availability can stretch things out.

Submit the Online Application

Create an account at ttp.dhs.gov and choose your program.11Department of Homeland Security. Official Trusted Traveler Program Website The form asks for standard biographic and employment details. Enter your name exactly as it appears on the passport or ID you’ll bring to the interview; even small discrepancies cause problems later. You pay the fee at submission.

For TSA PreCheck, three authorized enrollment providers handle applications: IDEMIA, Telos, and CLEAR.12Transportation Security Administration. What Is a TSA PreCheck Enrollment Provider? Enrollment center locations and pricing differ, so compare before you commit.

Wait for Conditional Approval

DHS runs a background check after you submit. Most applicants get conditional approval within a few weeks. Certain criminal convictions can block approval, some permanently (including espionage, treason, terrorism, murder, and explosives offenses) and others for a set number of years after conviction or release.13eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses An outstanding warrant or open felony indictment also disqualifies you until it’s resolved.

Do the In-Person Interview

Once conditionally approved, schedule an appointment at an enrollment center. The visit takes about ten minutes. An officer verifies your identity and citizenship documents, takes your fingerprints and photo, and asks a few questions. Bring a valid passport, or a driver’s license plus a birth certificate.

Global Entry applicants have a shortcut called Enrollment on Arrival. Instead of booking a separate appointment, you complete the interview with a CBP officer when you next land in the U.S. from an international flight, during your standard admissibility inspection.14U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival Useful if wait times at your nearest enrollment center are long.

Receive Your KTN

Your number is typically issued within a few business days of the interview. A TSA PreCheck KTN is nine or ten digits and usually begins with TT, TE, or AC depending on the enrollment provider. A CBP PASS ID (for Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI) is nine digits and generally starts with 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 50, 70, 80, 95, 98, or 99.1Transportation Security Administration. What Is a Known Traveler Number (KTN)?

How to Find Your Number If You’ve Lost It

  • Log in at ttp.dhs.gov. Your membership number (PASSID) shows near the top of the dashboard.11Department of Homeland Security. Official Trusted Traveler Program Website
  • If you enrolled through the TSA PreCheck Application Program, use the KTN lookup tool on the TSA site.15Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck KTN Lookup
  • For Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI, the PASS ID is printed on the upper-left corner of the back of your card.1Transportation Security Administration. What Is a Known Traveler Number (KTN)?
  • Search your inbox for the original approval email from DHS or TSA; the number is usually included.

Using Your KTN When You Book

The number doesn’t attach itself to your travel. You have to enter it in the “Known Traveler Number” or “KTN” field when booking, provide it to a phone agent, or add it after the fact through the airline’s “Manage Trip” section. Save it in every frequent flyer profile and any employer booking tool so it carries automatically.

The most important thing: the name and date of birth on the reservation have to match your enrollment record exactly. A missing middle name, a nickname, or a hyphen difference will keep the systems from matching you. When they do match, the TSA PreCheck indicator prints on your boarding pass.16Transportation Security Administration. How Will I Know That I Can Access TSA PreCheck Screening Lanes? Without that indicator, you go through standard screening regardless of your membership status.17Transportation Security Administration. How Do I Know if I Can Access TSA PreCheck Screening?

Nearly 100 airlines participate in TSA PreCheck, including all the major U.S. carriers.18Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck Participating Airlines

When PreCheck Doesn’t Show Up

If you entered your KTN and the indicator is missing, the cause is almost always a data mismatch. Confirm your membership hasn’t expired, check that your name and date of birth in the reservation match your enrollment record exactly, and confirm the airline participates.19Transportation Security Administration. I Entered My Known Traveler Number (KTN) in My Reservation, but There’s No TSA PreCheck Indicator

If everything looks right and the indicator still isn’t there, contact TSA at least 72 hours before your flight. Call (866) 289-9673, message @AskTSA on X, or reach them through Facebook Messenger.19Transportation Security Administration. I Entered My Known Traveler Number (KTN) in My Reservation, but There’s No TSA PreCheck Indicator

Renewing Before It Expires

You can start renewal up to a year before expiration. Do it early. If you file the renewal application before your expiration date, you can keep using your benefits for up to 24 months past that date while it processes.20U.S. Customs and Border Protection. How to Renew Trusted Traveler Program Membership Let it lapse and you may have to start over.

Global Entry renewals sometimes skip the in-person interview; check your TTP account after submitting to see whether one is required.21U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Frequently Asked Questions TSA PreCheck renewals can often be done entirely online through your enrollment provider.

A Note on Children and on Redress Numbers

Children 12 and under can use the TSA PreCheck lane with an enrolled parent or guardian whose boarding pass shows the indicator. The child doesn’t need a KTN and the child’s boarding pass doesn’t need the indicator.22Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Families At 13, that changes: teens 13 to 17 need the PreCheck indicator on their own boarding pass. Booking a teenager on the same reservation as an enrolled adult, with the child’s KTN field left blank, sometimes extends the benefit through the adult’s status. For teens who fly alone often, enrolling them separately is more reliable.23Transportation Security Administration. Do Children Need to Apply for TSA PreCheck?

Booking forms often ask for a Redress Number in a field near the KTN. It’s a different thing: a seven-digit ID from the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program for people who’ve been repeatedly delayed or denied boarding because their name matched a government watchlist.24Homeland Security. Redress Control Numbers If that hasn’t happened to you, leave the field blank.