A TWIC card is the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, a federal biometric ID issued by the Transportation Security Administration that costs $124.00 and grants unescorted access to secure areas at U.S. ports, maritime facilities, and certain vessels. TSA issues the card after a security threat assessment covering your criminal history, immigration status, and mental health background. It is valid for five years, and most workers in the maritime and port transportation industries cannot do their jobs without one.
Who Needs One
Anyone who needs unescorted access to secure areas of a facility or vessel regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act must carry a valid TWIC.1eCFR. 33 CFR 101.514 – TWIC Requirement That covers merchant mariners licensed by the Coast Guard, longshoremen, port facility employees, truck drivers hauling cargo through regulated terminals, and drug and alcohol testing personnel who enter secure areas.2United States Coast Guard. Transportation Workers Identification Credentials (TWIC)
Without a TWIC, entering a secure area requires an escort, and whether to allow that is entirely up to the facility or vessel operator. Many charge hourly fees or simply refuse.
Who Qualifies
Three things determine eligibility: your immigration status, your criminal record, and whether a court or other lawful authority has ever adjudicated you as lacking mental capacity.3eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1572 – Credentialing and Security Threat Assessments
On immigration, you must be a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, a refugee, an asylee, or a nonimmigrant in lawful status with work authorization. Narrower categories also qualify, including merchant marine academy students on M-1 visas, aliens admitted under the Compact of Free Association with Pacific island nations, and commercial drivers licensed in Canada or Mexico.4eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1572 – Credentialing and Security Threat Assessments – Section 1572.105 A few visa categories are specifically excluded, including S-5 and S-6 informant visas and K-1/K-2 fiancé visas.
On mental capacity, TSA will deny a TWIC if you have been adjudicated as lacking mental capacity or involuntarily committed by a court or lawful authority.5eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1572 – Credentialing and Security Threat Assessments – Section 1572.109 That includes a finding of insanity in a criminal case, a finding of incompetence to stand trial, and involuntary commitment for mental illness or drug use. Voluntary admission does not count, and neither does commitment solely for observation. If either condition applies to you, a waiver is possible with court records or official medical release documents showing the condition no longer exists.
Criminal Offenses That Disqualify You
The background check is what trips applicants up most often. Only felony convictions matter. TSA sorts disqualifying felonies into two tiers.
Permanent Disqualifiers
A conviction for any of these bars you from a TWIC no matter how long ago it happened:6eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
- Espionage or conspiracy to commit espionage
- Sedition or conspiracy to commit sedition
- Treason or conspiracy to commit treason
- A federal crime of terrorism, or a comparable state offense
- Murder
- A crime involving a transportation security incident: one that caused significant loss of life, environmental damage, or economic disruption in a particular area
The first four have no path to a waiver. Murder and transportation security incident offenses stay permanently disqualifying but can be waived through the process described further down.7Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors
Interim Disqualifiers
These felonies block your application only if you were convicted within seven years of applying, or released from incarceration within five years of applying.7Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors After both windows close, the conviction no longer affects eligibility. The list:6eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
- Weapons offenses: unlawful possession, sale, distribution, or transport of a firearm or other weapon
- Extortion
- Fraud or dishonesty, including identity fraud and related money laundering (welfare fraud and passing bad checks are specifically excluded)
- Bribery
- Smuggling
- Immigration violations
- Controlled substance offenses: distribution, possession with intent to distribute, or importation
- Arson
- Kidnapping or hostage taking
- Rape or aggravated sexual abuse
- Assault with intent to kill
- Robbery
- Fraudulent entry into a seaport
- Racketeering (RICO) violations
- Conspiracy or attempt to commit any of the offenses above
If TSA issues a preliminary determination based on an interim offense, you can appeal or request a waiver, and TSA sends instructions on how with the determination letter.
Cost and Required Documents
A new enrollment costs $124.00, paid at pre-enrollment on the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA website and non-refundable. If you already hold a valid Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) or a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card, the fee drops to $93.00, but the new TWIC will expire on the same date as that existing credential rather than running a full five years.8Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) – TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA
Bring original documents to your appointment. Photocopies are not accepted. TSA uses a two-list system:9TSA.gov. TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement Threat Assessment Program Required Identification Documentation
- List A (one document): an unexpired U.S. passport, book or card, satisfies identity and citizenship on its own.
- List B (two documents): a valid photo ID such as a state driver’s license, paired with proof of citizenship such as a U.S. birth certificate.
Bring a backup document in case the enrollment center has trouble verifying your primary ID. Non-citizens should bring immigration documents matching their specific eligibility category.
How Enrollment Works
After pre-enrollment online, schedule an in-person appointment at a Universal Enrollment Center through the IDEMIA website or by calling 855-347-8371. Walk-ins are accepted but appointments go first. At the appointment you’ll present your documents, sit for a digital photograph, and provide fingerprints.
Most applicants receive an approval notification in three to five days, though some applications take up to 60 days.10Transportation Security Administration. How Long Does It Take to Get Approved Difficult fingerprint captures and complex background checks are the usual causes of delay. Once approved, the card ships in about 10 days to the mailing address you gave at enrollment, or to the enrollment center.11Transportation Security Administration. How Long Does It Take to Process My TWIC Application You must activate it before it can be used.
To check status, use the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA service status page with your legal name, date of birth, UE ID from enrollment, and the email or phone number you provided.12Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Service Status – TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA Details must match your enrollment records exactly.
Renewal and Replacement
You can renew starting one year before the expiration date printed on the card and up to one year after it expires.13Transportation Security Administration. How Do I Know to Renew My TWIC More than a year past expiration, you are treated as a new applicant and must go through the full in-person enrollment again. TSA recommends renewing at least 60 days before expiration to avoid a gap.
U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents can renew online for $116.00. Everyone else renews in person at an enrollment center for $124.00.14TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA. TWIC Renewal If you’ve changed your name since your last enrollment and haven’t reported it, online renewal won’t be available until that update is processed.
If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, report it right away by calling 855-347-8371 (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET) or by starting a replacement online.15Transportation Security Administration. How Do I Report My TWIC Card Lost and or Missing A replacement costs $60.00.16Transportation Security Administration. TWIC An unreported missing card creates a security problem that can complicate your next renewal.
If You Are Denied
An Initial Determination of Threat Assessment is not the end. You have 60 days from the date you receive it to start an appeal.17eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1515 – Appeal and Waiver Procedures for Security Threat Assessments for Individuals Miss that window and the initial determination becomes final.
To appeal, submit a written reply to TSA explaining why you meet the eligibility standards. You can also ask for copies of the materials TSA used, and TSA has 60 days to send them; you then have another 60 days after receiving them to file your reply. Include documents proving mistaken identity, records showing a conviction was overturned, or any other evidence that the determination was wrong.
Waivers
A waiver is different from an appeal. An appeal says TSA got the facts wrong. A waiver says the facts are correct but you should still get the card. You can request a waiver at any time during the application process, or within 60 days after a Final Determination.18eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1515 – Appeal and Waiver Procedures for Security Threat Assessments for Individuals – Section 1515.7
TSA weighs the circumstances of the offense, restitution, state or federal mitigation remedies, and other evidence you don’t pose a security threat. Court records, completion of rehabilitation programs, employment history, and character references all help. For mental health disqualifications, official medical release documents matter most.
Review by an Administrative Law Judge
If your appeal is denied and the determination becomes final, you can request review by an administrative law judge within 30 calendar days.19eCFR. 49 CFR 1515.11 – Review by Administrative Law Judge and TSA Final Decision Maker The ALJ can only consider evidence you already submitted, so new evidence has to go into a fresh appeal with TSA instead. You may request an in-person hearing, which starts within 60 calendar days if granted. The standard is substantial evidence on the record.
Keeping the Card Valid
If you legally change your name, call the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA Call Center at 855-347-8371 to start the update. You’ll need identity documents supporting the new name, and a non-refundable $60.00 replacement fee applies.20TSA Enrollment Help Center. Help Center – TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA Name changes can take up to 45 days, and an unreported name change blocks online renewal. Address changes go through the same call center and don’t require a replacement card.
The TWIC belongs to TSA, and you must surrender it within 24 hours if any of these happen:21eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.19 – Applicant Responsibilities for a TWIC
- You are convicted of, under indictment for, or found not guilty by reason of insanity for a disqualifying criminal offense
- You are adjudicated as lacking mental capacity or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility
- You renounce or lose U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status
- You violate your immigration status or are ordered removed from the United States
Failing to surrender can lead to immediate revocation and civil penalties. A new conviction starts a 24-hour clock, not a process that waits for your next renewal.