TSA PreCheck for Kids: Age Rules, Enrollment, and Costs

TSA PreCheck for kids works differently depending on age. Children 12 and under can walk through the PreCheck lane with an enrolled parent or guardian without any application, fee, or Known Traveler Number of their own. Teens ages 13 to 17 can do the same, but only when they’re booked on the same reservation as the PreCheck-holding adult. A child needs their own membership mainly when they fly alone, when they routinely travel on separate reservations from the enrolled parent, or when they travel with adults who don’t have PreCheck.¹

Children 12 and Under Ride Along Free

Kids 12 and under are automatically allowed into the PreCheck lane when they’re traveling with a parent or guardian whose boarding pass shows the PreCheck indicator. The child’s own boarding pass does not need to display the indicator, and the child does not need a KTN.¹

The benefit only flows one direction. If your own boarding pass doesn’t show PreCheck for that flight, your young child can’t use the lane either.

Teens 13 to 17 Must Share the Reservation

Teenagers between 13 and 17 can also use the PreCheck lane without their own membership, but the PreCheck indicator has to appear on the teen’s boarding pass. Two conditions make that happen: the teen and the enrolled adult are on the same airline reservation, and the adult’s boarding pass shows the PreCheck indicator. When both are true, the airline’s system passes the designation through to the teen automatically.²

If your teenager doesn’t have a KTN of their own, leave the KTN field blank on their portion of the booking. Don’t put the parent’s KTN in the child’s field. That mismatch can block the indicator from being issued at all.¹

Watch the same-reservation rule. A teen booked separately from the enrolled parent, even on the same flight, will not get the indicator and can’t use the expedited lane without their own KTN.³ Award tickets, companion bookings, and last-minute itinerary changes often produce split reservations, so it’s worth checking before you get to the airport.

When a Child Actually Needs Their Own Membership

TSA recommends enrolling a child in PreCheck when the child routinely travels alone.¹ A few other situations also make a child’s own membership worthwhile:

A 13-to-17-year-old who is frequently booked on separate reservations from the enrolled parent, since the indicator won’t pass through without a KTN of their own.
Unaccompanied minors who want PreCheck screening. They need their own membership and an acceptable form of identification at the checkpoint.⁴
Children who often fly with a grandparent, family friend, or other adult who doesn’t have PreCheck. Their own membership is the only way into the expedited lane in that case.

Outside these situations, most children don’t need their own enrollment.

How to Enroll a Child

Enrollment has two parts: an online application and a short in-person appointment. Only U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents are eligible to apply.⁵

The Online Application

A parent or guardian starts on the website of one of TSA’s authorized enrollment providers and enters the child’s full legal name, date of birth, and other biographical details.

The In-Person Appointment

After the online step, the child and a parent or guardian go to an enrollment center. The visit usually takes about ten minutes. A technician verifies identity documents, collects fingerprints and a photograph, and processes payment.⁶

Bring original identity and citizenship documents. TSA accepts either a single primary document such as a valid U.S. passport, or two documents together: a valid photo ID plus proof of citizenship like a birth certificate.⁷ Because most children don’t have photo ID, a U.S. passport is usually the easiest single document. If your child doesn’t have one, a birth certificate paired with the accompanying parent’s REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or other valid photo ID works. Short-form or abstract birth certificates and notarized copies are not accepted.

What It Costs

Fees for a new five-year membership vary slightly by enrollment provider:

IDEMIA: $76.75
CLEAR: $79.95
Telos: $85.00

The fee is non-refundable and is collected at the in-person appointment.⁶ A number of travel credit cards offer statement credits that reimburse the TSA PreCheck application fee, and these credits generally apply whether the charge is for the cardholder or a family member. Check your card’s benefits before you pay so you don’t miss the reimbursement.⁸

After Approval: Using and Troubleshooting the KTN

TSA runs a security threat assessment after the appointment. Most applicants get their KTN within three to five days, though some cases take up to 60 days.⁹ The KTN is typically nine or ten characters long and can include both numbers and letters.¹⁰

Enter the KTN in the “Known Traveler Number” field when booking, or save it in the child’s airline frequent flyer profile. The name on the reservation must match the name used during enrollment exactly, including a middle name if one was on the application.¹¹

If the PreCheck indicator doesn’t appear on the boarding pass, confirm the membership hasn’t expired by looking up the KTN status on the TSA website. Then check with the airline that the KTN, name, and date of birth are entered correctly and that the airline participates in PreCheck. If the indicator is still missing, contact TSA at (866) 289-9673 or through @AskTSA on X or Facebook Messenger. TSA recommends reaching out at least 72 hours before the flight to leave time to resolve the problem.⁸

Renewing a Child’s Membership

Memberships last five years, and you can start renewal up to six months before expiration. Most members can renew entirely online without another trip to an enrollment center. If the child’s name has changed since the original enrollment, through adoption or a legal name change, you may need to renew in person or update the name through the enrollment provider first.⁸

Renewal is cheaper than initial enrollment, running roughly $59 to $80 depending on the provider and whether you renew online or in person.¹²

Global Entry for Families Who Fly Internationally

If your family travels abroad, Global Entry may be a better fit. It includes PreCheck benefits for domestic flights and adds expedited customs and immigration processing on return to the United States. The membership lasts five years and costs $120 for adults.¹³

The $120 application fee is waived for children under 18 as long as a parent or legal guardian is already enrolled in a trusted traveler program or has a pending application. The child’s application has to include the parent’s membership or application ID number to get the waiver.¹⁴

One key difference from PreCheck: Global Entry has no ride-along rule. Every traveler, including children of any age, needs their own Global Entry membership to use the kiosks or lanes. A child without one cannot go through with an enrolled parent, even if the child is an infant.¹⁵ Since the fee is waived for minors, there’s little reason not to enroll the kids if a parent already has Global Entry and the family flies internationally.

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Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Families
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Transportation Security Administration. Do Children Need to Apply for TSA PreCheck
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Transportation Security Administration. I Am Traveling with My Family; Can They Also Use the TSA PreCheck Lane
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Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
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Transportation Security Administration. Who Can Apply for TSA PreCheck
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Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck
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Transportation Security Administration. Required Documents for TSA PreCheck Application
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Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck FAQ
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Transportation Security Administration. How Do I Know When I’m Approved for TSA PreCheck
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Transportation Security Administration. What Is a Known Traveler Number (KTN)
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Transportation Security Administration. Does the Name on My Airline Reservation Have to Match the Name on My Application
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Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck Renewals
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Frequently Asked Questions
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry Frequently Asked Questions