The TWIC card renewal cost is $116 if you renew online and $124 if you renew at an enrollment center, and the fee is non-refundable either way.1Transportation Security Administration. TWIC | Transportation Security Administration A reduced rate of $93 is available if you already hold a current Hazardous Materials Endorsement on your commercial driver’s license or a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card. The credential is valid for five years, which works out to about $23 per year at the standard online rate.2eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.23 – TWIC Expiration
What You Pay and How You Pay It
The $8 gap between the online and in-person fees reflects the cost of processing you at a center. The current amounts:
- Online renewal: $116.00
- In-person renewal: $124.00
- Reduced rate for HME or FAST holders: $93.00
- Replacement for a lost, stolen, or damaged card: $60.00
None of these are refundable, even if TSA denies your application after running the security threat assessment.3eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1572 Subpart F – Fees for Security Threat Assessments for Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) If you have a criminal history that might surface during the background check, look at the disqualifying-offense rules before you pay, because the money doesn’t come back.
Enrollment centers accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Money orders, company checks, and certified or cashier’s checks are also accepted, but each must be made out to “IDEMIA” for the exact transaction amount. Cash and personal checks are not accepted.4TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA. Help Center
Does Your Employer Have to Pay?
No federal law requires an employer to cover the TWIC renewal fee. The cost falls on you as the individual applicant. Many port operators and maritime companies do reimburse workers or pay the fee at onboarding, but that’s a matter of company policy. Ask before you pay out of pocket.
When You Can Renew and Which Fee Applies
You can start your renewal one year before the expiration date on the card and up to one year after it expires.5Transportation Security Administration. How Do I Know to Renew My TWIC? Miss that one-year post-expiration window and TSA treats you as a brand-new applicant, which means starting the in-person enrollment process from scratch.
The $116 online option is only available to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents.5Transportation Security Administration. How Do I Know to Renew My TWIC? Anyone in a different immigration category has to renew in person at the $124 rate and bring documents verifying current status. TSA can also shorten a nonimmigrant worker’s TWIC validity to match a visa expiration, and the card is treated as expired if the employment relationship ends or immigration status lapses.2eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.23 – TWIC Expiration
Online renewal skips the fingerprint and photo appointment because TSA reuses your prior biometric data. In-person renewal starts with a pre-enrollment online, then an appointment at a center where staff take new fingerprints and a new photograph and collect the $124 fee. Bring a valid U.S. passport, or a driver’s license together with a birth certificate.1Transportation Security Administration. TWIC | Transportation Security Administration If your name has changed since your last enrollment, call (855) 347-8371 and submit a name change request before you start; otherwise the identity check will fail and you’ll lose time.
Processing generally takes up to 60 days, so start at least two months before your card expires.6Transportation Security Administration. How Long Does It Take to Process My TWIC Application?
The Cost of Letting It Lapse
Federal law bars anyone from entering a secure area of a maritime facility or vessel without a valid TWIC, and it bars operators from allowing them in.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 46 USC 70105 – Transportation Worker Identification Credential The only workaround is escort by someone who holds a valid credential. There is no formal grace period once your card expires.
If your card is lost or stolen and you’ve ordered a replacement, Coast Guard policy generally allows continued facility access while you wait, provided you can show a receipt for the replacement order.8Transportation Security Administration. TWIC Frequently Asked Questions Contact the Coast Guard for the specific conditions.
Violations of maritime security requirements, including TWIC-related infractions, carry civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, and those penalties can hit both the worker and the facility operator who allowed the access.9eCFR. 33 CFR 101.415 – Penalties Compared with that exposure, the $116 online renewal is the cheap part of keeping your credential current.