Use the Credential Identification Number, or CIN, printed on the back of your TWIC card. That eight-digit number is what you enter in the Known Traveler Number field when you book a flight, and it delivers the same TSA PreCheck benefits as a standalone PreCheck membership. You do not need to apply or pay for PreCheck separately.1Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Cardholders
Where the CIN Is Printed
Flip the card over. The CIN sits on the left side, directly below the one-dimensional barcode.2TSA.gov. PreCheck for TWIC FAQs The same number appears in the lower left-hand corner of the mailer your card arrived in, if you kept it. The CIN is exactly eight digits. If the number you’re looking at is longer or shorter, it’s a different field on the card.3TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA. TWIC with Missing Fingerprints
If you happen to already hold a KTN from a separate PreCheck enrollment, either number works in the reservation field.2TSA.gov. PreCheck for TWIC FAQs
Who Qualifies to Use the CIN
Holding a TWIC is not enough on its own. Three conditions must all be true:1Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Cardholders
- You are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident.
- Your TWIC was approved through the standard process, not through TSA’s waiver process.
- You are not currently flagged in TSA’s continuous re-vetting. An open investigation suspends PreCheck eligibility until it clears.
The card itself must also be active. A TWIC is valid for five years from its issue date, and once it expires the CIN stops working as a KTN. There’s no grace period.4Transportation Security Administration. How Long Is a TWIC Card Valid For?
Entering the CIN When You Book
Type the eight-digit CIN into the Known Traveler Number field on the airline’s booking page, or read it to a reservation agent over the phone. Saving it to your frequent flyer profile is worth doing once so it populates automatically on future trips.2TSA.gov. PreCheck for TWIC FAQs
The name and date of birth on the reservation have to match the TWIC exactly. If your card shows a middle name, include it. Even a missing middle initial can keep the PreCheck indicator off your boarding pass.5Transportation Security Administration. Does the Name on My Airline Reservation Have to Match the Name on My Application? When it does appear, the boarding pass sends you to the expedited lane.
What You Get at the Checkpoint
In the PreCheck lane you keep your shoes, belt, and light jacket on. Laptops and liquids stay in your bag.6Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck
One caveat worth knowing: the PreCheck indicator on your boarding pass does not guarantee expedited screening on every flight. TSA uses unpredictable security measures, and any traveler can be routed to standard screening.7Transportation Security Administration. If I Am TSA PreCheck Eligible, Am I Guaranteed Expedited Screening? It’s rare, but leave yourself a cushion.
Traveling With Children
Children 12 and under can go through the PreCheck lane with you automatically; their boarding pass does not need its own indicator. For teens aged 13 to 17, the indicator does need to appear on their boarding pass, which usually means booking them on the same reservation so your KTN carries across.8Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Families
If You Have an HME Instead
Hazardous Materials Endorsement holders on a commercial driver’s license also get PreCheck without a separate application, but the number is different. Enter your two-letter state abbreviation followed by your CDL number, so a New York CDL holder would enter NY123456.9Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for HME FAQs If you hold both a TWIC and an HME, either number works.
Keep the Card Active
Because PreCheck rides on the TWIC, letting the card lapse costs you the airport benefit too. Renewal runs $116 online or $124 at an enrollment center, and TSA recommends starting well before the expiration date.10Transportation Security Administration. TWIC If the card is lost, stolen, damaged, or canceled, the CIN will not work until you have a valid replacement in hand.