TSA PreCheck eligibility requirements are straightforward at the top: you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident, and you must pass a criminal background check.1Transportation Security Administration. Who Can Apply for TSA PreCheck Certain felony convictions bar you for life; a longer list of offenses bars you for seven years from conviction or five years from release. Active-duty military and DoD personnel get the benefit without paying, and children can use the lane with an enrolled parent.
Citizenship and Immigration Status
Only U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents can apply for PreCheck directly.1Transportation Security Administration. Who Can Apply for TSA PreCheck You need that status when you apply and throughout the five years your membership lasts. If your lawful permanent resident status lapses or is revoked, your eligibility ends with it.
Foreign nationals cannot enroll in PreCheck itself, but they can reach the same expedited lanes through Customs and Border Protection’s trusted traveler programs: Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI.1Transportation Security Administration. Who Can Apply for TSA PreCheck A Canadian citizen approved for NEXUS, for instance, can use PreCheck lanes at participating U.S. airports as part of that membership.2Canada Border Services Agency. NEXUS Program
Military, DoD Civilians, and Veterans
Active-duty service members already have PreCheck at no cost, and so do Reservists, National Guard members, Coast Guard personnel, and cadets and midshipmen at the service academies. They enter their 10-digit DoD ID number as the Known Traveler Number when booking a flight, whether for official duty or personal travel.3Defense Travel Management Office. TSA PreCheck
Department of Defense civilian employees are eligible for free PreCheck too, but their enrollment is not automatic. Civilians must opt in through the ID Card Office Online portal.3Defense Travel Management Office. TSA PreCheck Without that step, the PreCheck indicator won’t show up on a boarding pass, even though the person qualifies.
Retired service members and veterans do not qualify for the free DoD program.3Defense Travel Management Office. TSA PreCheck If you’re retired military, you apply and pay as a civilian applicant. It’s a common misconception worth clearing up before you try to use an old DoD ID number at the airport.
Children and Teenagers
Children 12 and under can walk through the PreCheck lane with an enrolled parent or guardian at no cost, and the child’s boarding pass doesn’t need to show the PreCheck indicator.4Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Families
Teens aged 13 through 17 can use the lane for free as well, but the rules tighten. The PreCheck indicator has to appear on the teen’s own boarding pass, which happens only when the teen is on the same reservation as an enrolled adult whose pass already shows the indicator. If the teen doesn’t have their own Known Traveler Number, leave that field blank on the reservation rather than entering the parent’s.4Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Families A teenager booked on a separate reservation from any enrolled adult goes through standard screening. TSA recommends enrolling teens who often fly alone.5Transportation Security Administration. Do Children Need to Apply for TSA PreCheck
Criminal Offenses That Disqualify You
Federal regulations set two tiers of disqualifying criminal history. The permanent tier covers felony convictions for espionage, sedition, treason, murder, and making threats involving explosives against public transportation or government facilities.6eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses A conviction for any of these bars you for life.
The interim tier disqualifies you if you were convicted within seven years of your application, or if you were released from incarceration within five years.6eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses Bribery, smuggling, arson, and certain immigration violations fall in this group. An active indictment for a disqualifying felony also results in denial, as does a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Losing PreCheck After You’re Approved
Approval isn’t permanent. TSA runs recurrent criminal background checks on enrolled members, and new disqualifying information can trigger a suspension.7Transportation Security Administration. Can I Be Disqualified or Suspended from TSA PreCheck Temporary suspensions from recurrent vetting typically resolve within 30 days but can take up to 90.
Security violations at the airport can cost you PreCheck even without a criminal conviction. Bringing a firearm or prohibited item to the checkpoint, making a bomb threat, interfering with flight crew, and access control violations all qualify. A first offense can bring a suspension of up to five years; egregious incidents or repeat violations can result in a permanent ban.7Transportation Security Administration. Can I Be Disqualified or Suspended from TSA PreCheck
If You Get a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility
When TSA finds potentially disqualifying information, it sends a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility letter explaining the reason. You have 60 days from receiving the letter to respond, and you can request more time.8Transportation Security Administration. What If I Receive a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility Letter
Your response can be an appeal (arguing the record is wrong), a waiver request (acknowledging the offense but asking TSA to approve you anyway), or both. In weighing a waiver, TSA considers the circumstances of the offense, any restitution, completion of court-ordered treatment, and evidence of rehabilitation.8Transportation Security Administration. What If I Receive a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility Letter Include court disposition records for every arrest and conviction, including expunged ones.
A separate note on a related problem: if you haven’t applied for PreCheck but keep getting flagged for extra screening, the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program is the right channel. Filing a DHS TRIP inquiry won’t get you PreCheck, but it can resolve issues like repeated secondary screening or delayed boarding.9Homeland Security. DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP)
Documents You’ll Need to Prove Eligibility
You have to prove your identity and status at your in-person enrollment appointment with original documents. TSA uses a two-list system. A single document from List A does the job: an unexpired U.S. passport (book or card), a permanent resident card, an unexpired enhanced driver’s license, or a re-entry permit.10Transportation Security Administration. Required Documents for TSA PreCheck Application
If you don’t have anything from List A, you’ll need two documents from List B: a valid photo ID such as a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, plus a document proving citizenship or immigration status such as a U.S. birth certificate.10Transportation Security Administration. Required Documents for TSA PreCheck Application That combination is the most common route for applicants without a passport.