Veterans can get TSA PreCheck through one of three routes. Active-duty service members already have it at no cost. Veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities can enroll free under a 2025 law. Every other veteran applies through the standard civilian process and pays the regular fee, though a credit card benefit or the military spouse discount can bring the cost down or eliminate it.
Free Enrollment Under the VETS Safe Travel Act
The Veterans Expedited TSA Screening Safe Travel Act, signed into law on January 4, 2025 as Public Law 118-238, waives the TSA PreCheck enrollment fee for a specific group of disabled veterans.1Congress.gov. H.R. 7365 – VETS Safe Travel Act The eligibility rules are narrow. A veteran must meet all of the following:2Department of Veterans Affairs. How You Can Get TSA PreCheck for Free as a Veteran With a Disability
- Be currently enrolled in the VA patient enrollment system.
- Have a VA-determined service-connected disability that results in permanent blindness, loss or loss of use of an extremity, or full or partial paralysis.
- Require a VA-issued wheelchair or prosthetic limb because of that disability.
- Pass TSA PreCheck’s standard security and citizenship background check.
A VA disability rating alone does not qualify a veteran for the fee waiver. The law is limited to conditions that require mobility assistive devices, and the benefit applies only to the veteran, not to family members.3TSA. VETS Safe Travel Act
How to Enroll if You Qualify
Enrollment must go through IDEMIA. The fee waiver is not honored by the other two authorized providers, CLEAR and Telos, and TSA will not reimburse veterans who enroll through them.3TSA. VETS Safe Travel Act
The VA identifies qualifying veterans and uploads a TSA PreCheck eligibility letter to their VA.gov account. To find it, sign in and go to Benefits and Healthcare, then Records, then “Download your VA benefits letters.”4VA News. Veterans May Be Eligible for TSA PreCheck Email a copy of the letter to IDEMIA at tsaenrollmentbyidemia@ps-idemia.com with “VETS Safe” in the subject line. IDEMIA replies with an offer code that covers the enrollment fee. Use the code to enroll online or at an in-person appointment, where fingerprints, a photo, and identity documents are collected.3TSA. VETS Safe Travel Act
Veterans who cannot provide ten-finger fingerprints because of amputation or another physical limitation can request accommodations, though TSA has not published the specific alternatives.3TSA. VETS Safe Travel Act Veterans who believe they qualify but do not see the eligibility letter in VA.gov can contact the VA through Ask VA and select “Disability compensation” as the category.2Department of Veterans Affairs. How You Can Get TSA PreCheck for Free as a Veteran With a Disability
Membership lasts five years, and qualifying veterans can renew at no cost as long as they still meet the eligibility rules.5The Hill. Disabled Veterans Might Qualify for Free PreCheck From TSA For renewals, the same IDEMIA offer-code process applies, and the existing Known Traveler Number should be included in the email. The waiver depends on available appropriated funds, and receiving the eligibility letter does not by itself guarantee enrollment; the background check still has to clear.4VA News. Veterans May Be Eligible for TSA PreCheck
Active-Duty, Reserve, and Guard Members
Uniformed service members get TSA PreCheck at no cost and do not file a separate application. This covers active-duty armed forces, Reserve and National Guard members, Coast Guard personnel, service academy students, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.6TSA. Military Travelers
To use it, enter the DOD ID number from the back of the Common Access Card into the Known Traveler Number field when booking flights, in airline frequent flyer profiles, and in the Defense Travel System. DOD federal civilian employees have to opt in first through the ID Card Office Online portal before the DOD ID number will work as a KTN.7milConnect. DEERS TSA PreCheck FAQ
This benefit ends at separation or retirement. TSA advises enrolling in the standard PreCheck program before leaving service to avoid a gap; there is no published grace period.6TSA. Military Travelers
Standard Enrollment for Everyone Else
Veterans who are no longer with the DOD and do not meet the VETS Safe Travel Act criteria apply through the regular civilian process. The online application takes about five minutes, followed by an in-person appointment of about ten minutes for fingerprinting, a photo, and document verification.8TSA. TSA PreCheck
Three providers handle enrollment, each with its own price for a five-year membership:
- IDEMIA: $76.75 new; $58.75 online renewal
- Telos: $85.00 new; $69.95 online renewal
- CLEAR: $79.95 new; $69.95 online renewal8TSA. TSA PreCheck
Veterans who travel internationally may prefer Global Entry, which runs $120 for five years and includes PreCheck along with expedited U.S. customs processing. There is no need to sign up for both.9U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry
Credit Cards That Reimburse the Fee
Many travel credit cards offer a statement credit that covers the PreCheck or Global Entry application fee. TSA keeps an official list, which includes cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture and Venture X, several American Express products including the Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, the Citi Prestige, and the Navy Federal Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card, among others.10TSA. Credit Cards That Offer TSA PreCheck Fee Reimbursement If you already carry one of these cards, PreCheck effectively costs nothing.
Benefits for Military Families
Under TSA’s “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease” initiative, announced in July 2025, some family members can enroll free or at a discount.11TSA. Announcing New TSA PreCheck Serve, Honor, Travel With Ease Benefits
Gold Star families qualify at no cost. Spouses, parents, children, and siblings of service members who died on active duty or from a service-connected condition after separation can enroll or renew for free. They present a verification letter from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), or a TSA acknowledgement form, during enrollment.12TSA. Military Survivor Families
Military spouses get a $25 discount on enrollment or renewal. They must present an unexpired DOD or Uniformed Services photo ID that lists their relationship as “Spouse.” The discount is available through all three providers, and the exact way to claim it varies by provider. Spouses of retired service members are not eligible for this discount.13TSA. Military Spouse TSA PreCheck Discount
Children 12 and under can go through the PreCheck lane with an eligible service member or DOD employee. Minors aged 13 to 17 need to be on the same airline reservation as an eligible parent or guardian.11TSA. Announcing New TSA PreCheck Serve, Honor, Travel With Ease Benefits
TSA Cares Is Not the Same as PreCheck
Veterans with disabilities who don’t qualify for the VETS Safe Travel Act waiver still have another option at the checkpoint, though it is separate from PreCheck. TSA Cares provides a specially trained Passenger Support Specialist to assist travelers who have difficulty following instructions, use medical devices, or carry medically necessary liquids over the standard limit.14TSA. Passenger Support Contact TSA Cares at least 72 hours before a flight by calling (855) 787-2227 or using the online request form.15TSA. Request for TSA Cares Assistance TSA Cares does not offer expedited screening and does not exempt anyone from screening, and wheelchair assistance between the curb and the aircraft has to be arranged through the airline.