What Is a Redress Number? Who Needs One and How to Apply

A Redress Number is a seven-digit code issued by the Department of Homeland Security that helps travelers who keep getting flagged, delayed, or denied boarding because their name or personal details resemble someone on a government watch list. It comes from the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, known as DHS TRIP, and it’s free to request. Most travelers will never need one. If your trips to the airport are uneventful, you can stop here.¹

What the Number Actually Does

When you provide a Redress Number during a flight reservation, the TSA’s Secure Flight system uses it to separate you from whoever is actually on the watch list. Without it, the system sees your name and biographical details, gets a potential match, and flags you every time.¹

Secure Flight runs in the background before you ever get to the airport. Airlines transmit your name, date of birth, and gender to TSA, which checks that data against government watch lists. A Redress Number adds a layer of verified identity to that check, so the system can distinguish you from a similarly named person who does warrant scrutiny.¹

One thing the Redress Number will not do: guarantee you never get additional screening. Random screening is a normal part of aviation security and applies to everyone. What the number resolves is the systematic, repeated flagging caused by a name match.

Signs You Might Need One

The pattern matters more than any single incident. A single extra screening doesn’t mean you’re being misidentified. DHS TRIP is meant for people running into these situations repeatedly:

You can’t print a boarding pass from a kiosk or online, and it happens across different airlines.
An airline agent tells you the federal government hasn’t authorized your travel, or you’re consistently pulled aside before boarding.
You’re routinely sent to secondary screening when clearing U.S. Customs, or you’ve been denied entry into the United States.

The common thread is repetition, and the cause is usually that your name and personal information closely resemble someone else’s.²

If you don’t have a Redress Number and a booking site asks for one, leave the field blank. It’s optional, and skipping it won’t affect your ability to book or board.¹

Not the Same as a Known Traveler Number

These two numbers solve different problems, and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes travelers make. Both appear as optional fields when you book a flight, which doesn’t help.

A Redress Number has seven digits and fixes misidentification. It tells the screening system you’ve already been investigated and cleared. A Known Traveler Number, or KTN, has nine digits and grants access to expedited screening programs like TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. DHS explicitly warns that the two are not interchangeable.²

You can have both. If you’ve enrolled in PreCheck or Global Entry and also applied through DHS TRIP, enter each number in its correct field. Putting your KTN in the Redress Number field won’t resolve misidentification, and putting a Redress Number in the KTN field won’t get you PreCheck screening.³

How to Apply

Applications go through the DHS TRIP portal at trip.dhs.gov. There’s no fee, and you can complete the form on a computer or phone.⁴

You’ll need to provide three things:

Identity documents. A legible copy of the biographical (photo) page of your unexpired passport gets the fastest response. Without a passport, provide at least one unexpired government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license. DHS won’t process the application until the required documents are submitted.²
Personal information. Your full legal name, date of birth, and gender, exactly as they appear on your travel documents.
A description of the travel incidents. What happened, when, where, which airline, and any flight numbers you remember. The more specific you are, the easier it is for DHS to identify what went wrong.

Parents or legal guardians can submit an application on behalf of a minor. Each person having travel difficulties needs a separate application with their own identity documents.

DHS does not publish a fixed processing timeline. Review length varies depending on the issues raised.² You can follow your case through the same portal where you applied; if the status shows “requires more information,” respond promptly, because the case won’t move until you do.⁵

Using the Number Once You Have It

Use your seven-digit Redress Control Number every time you book a flight. You can enter it manually during the reservation, or add it to your airline frequent-flyer profile so it attaches automatically to every future booking.¹

Adding it to your profile is worth the two minutes. If you book through a travel agency or third-party site, you may still need to enter it manually, and forgetting once means that flight gets screened without the benefit of your redress case. The number only works when the airline actually transmits it to TSA alongside the rest of your Secure Flight data.

Keeping Your Record Current

If your name changes, you get a new passport, or you move, email a legible copy of your updated documents to TRIP@tsa.dhs.gov and include your Redress Control Number. DHS will update your record. You don’t need to apply for a new number because your personal information changed; the existing one stays valid.²

DHS lists no expiration date for Redress Numbers, and no renewal process appears in its published guidance. If you keep having travel difficulties after receiving your number, contact DHS TRIP directly rather than submitting a new application. The same number can be used to report new issues as they arise.²

1
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Redress Control Numbers
2
Department of Homeland Security. Frequently Asked Questions – DHS Trip
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TSA. What Is a Known Traveler Number (KTN)?
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Step 2: How to Use DHS TRIP
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Homeland Security. Step 3: Tracking Your Inquiry