To enroll for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, you visit an authorized IDEMIA enrollment center in person. TWIC card enrollment center locations are listed only on the official TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA website, which lets you search by zip code, city, or airport code and filter specifically for TWIC services. Plan on a $124 fee, original identity and citizenship documents, and a visit of roughly 9 to 12 minutes on site, not counting wait time. TSA recommends starting the process at least 60 days before you actually need the card.1Transportation Security Administration. TWIC
Finding an Enrollment Center Near You
The enrollment center locator on the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA site is the only official tool for finding a TWIC location. Enter a zip code, city, or airport code and the results show each center’s street address, phone number, and hours.
Filter your search. Not every IDEMIA center handles TWIC. Some locations only process TSA PreCheck or other programs, so use the “Filter by Service” option and select TWIC before you search. You can narrow the filter further by the specific service you need: new enrollment, card activation, PIN reset, replacement, or renewal. Coverage varies widely by region. If the closest result is inconvenient or booked out, check the next nearest option; in some areas the practical choice is a longer drive.
Scheduling or Walking In
You can book an appointment through the online portal or by calling the TSA enrollment help line at 855-347-8371 (855-DHS-UES1), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. Most centers accept walk-ins, but appointments get priority, and during busy periods that priority can save a long wait.
Documents to Bring
Every document must be an original and unexpired. TSA sorts acceptable documents into two lists.2Transportation Security Administration. TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement Threat Assessment Program Required Identification Documentation
List A documents prove identity and citizenship in a single item. The most common is an unexpired U.S. passport, book or card. One List A document is all you need.
List B takes two documents. First, a valid photo ID such as an unexpired driver’s license or a government-issued photo ID card carrying an official seal or logo. Second, proof of citizenship or immigration status: a U.S. birth certificate, a Certificate of Naturalization, a Certificate of Citizenship, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Lawful permanent residents can use a Permanent Resident Card (I-551).
Two common tripwires. Permits, including concealed carry permits, are not accepted as photo ID. An expired U.S. passport can serve as proof of citizenship under List B, but only if it expired within the past 12 months.
When Names Don’t Match
The names on your documents must match exactly. If your name has changed, bring the original or certified name-change paperwork, such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree. A driver’s license in a married name paired with a birth certificate in a maiden name, without the marriage certificate to link them, will stop your enrollment at the counter.3Transportation Security Administration. Required Documents for Application
What Enrollment Costs
TSA sets and publishes TWIC fees, and they can change from year to year. The current schedule:1Transportation Security Administration. TWIC
- New enrollment: $124
- In-person renewal: $124
- Online renewal: $116
- Reduced rate for new applicants who already hold a comparable credential: $93
- Replacement card: $60
The $93 reduced rate applies if you’ve already undergone a comparable security threat assessment through a Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME), a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card, or a Merchant Mariner credential.4eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.5 – Standards for Security Threat Assessments Payment is collected at the enrollment center.
At the Appointment
Pre-Enrollment Online
Before you go in, complete the pre-enrollment application on the TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA site. It collects your legal name, date of birth, sex, and contact information. Providing your Social Security number is technically voluntary, but TSA warns that skipping it may prevent completion of your security threat assessment, which effectively stalls the application.5TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA. Apply for TWIC Remember the email address and phone number you use; the agent will pull up your application with them, and you’ll need them later to check status.
In the Chair
The enrollment agent verifies your original documents, takes a digital facial photo, and captures your fingerprints electronically. Those fingerprints feed the FBI criminal history database and other federal security checks that make up the security threat assessment.6eCFR. 33 CFR 101.514 – TWIC Requirement The on-site portion averages 9 to 12 minutes, not counting wait time.7TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA. Help Center
Getting Your Card
TWIC cards are printed centrally and mailed to the address you gave during enrollment. If you prefer, you can choose to have the card shipped to an enrollment center for in-person pickup.8Transportation Security Administration. Will TSA Continue to Offer Direct Mail Delivery of the New TWIC NexGen Card
For applicants without disqualifying factors, the card typically arrives within 7 to 10 business days. Processing can run longer depending on the background check, which is the reason TSA recommends applying at least 60 days ahead of when you actually need the credential.1Transportation Security Administration. TWIC If you chose center pickup, bring the same government-issued photo ID you used at enrollment to collect the card.
If You Can’t Show a TWIC Yet
Without a TWIC, you cannot enter the secure areas of a maritime facility or vessel on your own. The operator has to deny unescorted access. You can still enter under escort for the entire time you’re inside the secure area.9eCFR. 33 CFR 101.550 – TWIC Inspection Requirements in Special Circumstances Escorted access is a temporary workaround. If regular secure-area access is part of your job, you need the card.
Convictions That Can Block Enrollment
TSA’s security threat assessment can disqualify applicants with certain criminal histories, so it’s worth checking before you pay the fee. Some felonies are permanent bars, regardless of when they occurred: espionage, sedition, treason, federal crimes of terrorism, murder, offenses involving explosives, crimes involving a transportation security incident, and improper transportation of hazardous materials. Attempts and conspiracies to commit those crimes disqualify equally.10eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
A second group of felonies disqualifies you only within a time window: if the conviction occurred within the last seven years, or if you were released from incarceration within the last five. This group includes robbery, arson, kidnapping, bribery, smuggling, firearms offenses, aggravated sexual abuse, assault with intent to kill, immigration violations, distribution of controlled substances, and fraud offenses. Welfare fraud and passing bad checks are specifically excluded from the fraud category.10eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
TSA can also deny applicants with extensive criminal histories, serious offenses not on either list, or imprisonment exceeding 365 consecutive days.11Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors If you receive a denial letter, you have 60 days to file an appeal (if TSA’s records are wrong or the offense isn’t actually disqualifying) or a waiver request (acknowledging the conviction and arguing you’re not a security threat).