A TSA security threat assessment is the background check the Transportation Security Administration runs on workers who need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) or a Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) on a commercial driver’s license. You complete it by pre-enrolling online, visiting an enrollment center in person for fingerprints and document verification, and paying the fee. TSA aims to issue a determination within 60 days.1Transportation Security Administration. How Long Does It Take to Process My TWIC Application?
Who Has to Get One
Two groups of workers go through this vetting. If you need unescorted access to secure areas of maritime facilities and vessels, you need a TWIC card under the Maritime Transportation Security Act.2Transportation Security Administration. TWIC If you’re a commercial driver getting, renewing, or transferring a hazardous materials endorsement on a state-issued CDL, you need the HME threat assessment.3Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement Both credentials last five years.
Holding one credential can reduce the fee for the other. A valid TWIC qualifies you for a reduced HME rate if your state supports comparability, and a valid HME or FAST card qualifies you for a reduced TWIC enrollment fee.
Check Your Criminal History Before You Pay
Fees are non-refundable, so review the disqualifying offense rules under 49 CFR 1572.103 before you enroll. TSA splits them into two categories.4eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
Permanent Disqualifiers
A conviction, or a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity, for espionage, sedition, treason, or a federal crime of terrorism as defined in 18 U.S.C. 2332b(g) — including conspiracy — bars you permanently. There is no look-back period.
Interim Disqualifiers
A longer list of felonies disqualifies you if the conviction occurred within seven years of your application, or if you were released from incarceration within five years of it.5Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors The list includes:
- Unlawful possession, sale, manufacture, or distribution of a firearm or other weapon
- Robbery, kidnapping or hostage taking, rape or aggravated sexual abuse, and assault with intent to kill
- Extortion, bribery, and fraud or misrepresentation, including identity fraud and related money laundering (but not welfare fraud or passing bad checks)
- Distribution of, possession with intent to distribute, or importation of a controlled substance
- Smuggling, immigration violations, arson, fraudulent entry into a seaport, and RICO violations
- Conspiracy or attempt to commit any of the above
TSA also weighs outstanding warrants, certain mental health adjudications, and prior transportation security violations. Once enough time has passed, the seven-year and five-year cutoffs are firm.
Documents You’ll Need at the Appointment
Bring originals or certified copies. TSA sorts acceptable documents into two lists, and what you bring from one list determines whether you need anything from the other.6Transportation Security Administration. Required Documents for TSA PreCheck Application
List A documents cover identity and citizenship in a single piece:
- Unexpired U.S. passport (book or card)
- Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551)
If you don’t have a List A document, bring two items from List B: one photo ID (such as a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license) and one proof of citizenship (such as a U.S. birth certificate).
Every document must be unexpired and issued by a government authority with an official seal. Short-form or abstract birth certificates and notarized copies are not accepted. If you’re unsure a document will qualify, call the enrollment center before your appointment.
Step 1: Pre-Enroll Online
Start at the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA portal and pick the correct program — TWIC or HME.7Transportation Security Administration. TSA Enrollment Each program has its own fee and its own downstream steps, so this choice matters.
The form asks for your full legal name, any previous names or aliases, Social Security Number, date of birth, and residential and employment history. Enter everything exactly as it appears on the documents you plan to bring. Mismatches can delay the application or get you turned away at the enrollment center. When you finish, the system generates an application ID. Save it. You’ll need it for the appointment and for status checks.
Step 2: Go to the Enrollment Center
Schedule an appointment at a nearby enrollment center or call (855) 347-8371 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments go first.3Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement
At the appointment, an agent verifies your identity documents, captures a full set of digital fingerprints, and takes your photograph. Those biometrics run against federal databases as part of the screening. You also pay at this visit; first-time enrollment cannot be paid online.
Payment Methods
Credit cards are preferred: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Money orders, company checks, and certified or cashier’s checks are also accepted if made out to “IDEMIA” for the exact amount. Cash and personal checks are not accepted, and no change or refunds are given.8Transportation Security Administration. Help Center – TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA
Fees
- HME: $85.25 for new or renewing applicants. Reduced rate is $41.00 if you already hold a valid TWIC and your state supports comparability.9Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement (HME) Threat Assessment Program
- TWIC: $124.00 for new or renewing applicants. Reduced rate is $93.00 if you present a valid CDL with an HME or a FAST card.10Transportation Security Administration. Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
All fees are non-refundable. If you take a reduced rate, your new credential’s expiration date aligns with the credential that qualified you for the discount.
How Long It Takes and How to Check Status
TSA’s goal is a determination within 60 days of receiving your enrollment. Fingerprints that were hard to capture can extend that.1Transportation Security Administration. How Long Does It Take to Process My TWIC Application? TSA has noted that increased HME demand can push processing past 45 days and recommends enrolling at least 60 days before you need a determination.3Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement
Track your application any time through the online status tool at the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA portal using your application ID.2Transportation Security Administration. TWIC If TSA needs more information, the request shows up there.
How You Learn the Result
The two programs handle results differently.
For HME applicants, TSA does not send you an approval letter. TSA sends your eligibility notification to your state licensing agency, and you find out you passed when the state issues your CDL with the endorsement.11Transportation Security Administration. What Happens After I Submit My Application?
For TWIC applicants, once TSA approves the assessment, your physical card is either mailed to the home address you gave at enrollment or made available for pickup at the enrollment center, depending on your preference. The card typically arrives within 10 days of notification.
Renewal Every Five Years
Both credentials are valid for five years from issuance. Renewal follows the same process: pre-enroll online, visit an enrollment center, pay the same fee. Start at least 60 days before expiration, especially given current processing times. If you hold both a TWIC and an HME, stagger the renewals so you don’t face a gap in both at once.
If You’re Denied
If TSA issues an Initial Determination of Threat Assessment against you, you have 60 days from the date you receive it to file a written appeal. Miss the window and the initial determination becomes final.12eCFR. 49 CFR 1515.5 – Appeal of Initial Determination of Threat Assessment
Within that same 60 days, you can request the materials TSA relied on. TSA then has 60 days to provide the releasable materials, and your reply deadline resets to 60 days after you receive them. Your written reply must give your rationale and any supporting information.
If the denial rests on a criminal record you believe is inaccurate, contact the jurisdiction that maintains the record, get it corrected, and submit the revised record or a certified true copy to TSA. Correcting the underlying record is often faster than arguing it through the appeal. TSA may grant extensions for good cause.
A PreCheck Benefit for TWIC Holders
If you hold an approved TWIC, you may qualify for TSA PreCheck at the airport without a separate application or fee. You must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or U.S. national; have been approved for TWIC without going through TSA’s waiver process; and not be under investigation through TSA’s recurrent vetting.13Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Cardholders Find the Credential Identification Number (CIN) on the back of your TWIC card and enter it as your Known Traveler Number when you book a flight with a participating airline.