To qualify for TSA PreCheck, you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident, and you must pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check run by the Transportation Security Administration. Active-duty military members, Department of Defense civilians, and people already enrolled in Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI get PreCheck screening through those programs without a separate PreCheck application. Certain criminal convictions, active warrants, and pending indictments will keep you out.
Citizenship and Immigration Status
Direct enrollment in PreCheck is limited to three groups: U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents. Green card holders apply using a valid Form I-551.1U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Traveling Outside U.S. – Documents Needed for Lawful Permanent Residents People in the United States on temporary visas, student visas, or other non-immigrant statuses are not eligible to apply for PreCheck on its own.
Canadian citizens reach the same benefit through NEXUS. An active NEXUS membership delivers PreCheck screening at participating U.S. airports with no separate PreCheck enrollment.2Department of Homeland Security. Official Trusted Traveler Program Website Citizens of other partner countries who hold Global Entry or SENTRI membership receive PreCheck screening the same way.3U.S. Customs and Border Protection. TSA PreCheck If you already belong to one of those Trusted Traveler Programs, you don’t need a separate PreCheck account; add that program’s membership number as your Known Traveler Number in your airline reservation.
Military Members, DoD Civilians, and Their Families
Active-duty service members and Department of Defense civilians receive TSA PreCheck as a benefit of their service, with no application and no fee. To use it, enter the DoD ID number from the back of your Common Access Card into the Known Traveler Number field when booking a flight. Showing the CAC at the checkpoint does not work on its own; the PreCheck indicator has to print on the boarding pass.4Transportation Security Administration. Military and Veterans The benefit covers both official and personal travel.
Military spouses and survivor families can get help with the fee if they enroll through Telos, which offers a $25 spouse discount and waives fees entirely for survivor families.5TSA PreCheck Enrollment by Telos. TSA PreCheck Application
Children Traveling with an Enrolled Parent
Whether a child needs their own membership depends on their age and who they’re flying with.6Transportation Security Administration. TSA PreCheck for Families
- Children 12 and under can go through the PreCheck lane with an enrolled parent or guardian, even without the indicator on their boarding pass.
- Teenagers ages 13 to 17 can use the PreCheck lane only when the indicator appears on their own boarding pass, which requires being on the same airline reservation as the enrolled adult. Do not enter the parent’s Known Traveler Number in the teen’s field; leave it blank.7Transportation Security Administration. Do Children Need to Apply for TSA PreCheck
- Any child who regularly flies without an enrolled parent should get their own PreCheck membership or a different Trusted Traveler Program.
Criminal Convictions That Disqualify You
Every applicant goes through a fingerprint-based criminal history check. Convictions fall into two categories: some bar you for life, others bar you only within a set time window.
Permanent Disqualifiers
Conviction for any of the following felonies keeps you out of PreCheck permanently, no matter when the offense occurred:8eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
- Espionage, sedition, or treason
- Murder
- Federal crimes of terrorism
- Crimes involving a transportation security incident
- Dealing in explosives or explosive devices
- Improper transportation of hazardous materials
- Bomb threats or false reports about explosive devices in public places
- Racketeering where the underlying crime is one of the above
- Conspiracy or attempt to commit any of the above
Interim Disqualifiers
A second set of offenses blocks approval only if you were convicted within the last seven years, or released from incarceration within the last five. Once enough clean time passes, they no longer disqualify you.9Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors They include:
- Arson
- Bribery
- Robbery or kidnapping
- Smuggling
- Drug distribution or possession with intent to distribute
- Certain firearms offenses
- Fraud and identity document crimes
Active warrants and pending indictments for any disqualifying offense also block approval. If a fingerprint check turns up an arrest with no recorded outcome, TSA will contact you and give you 60 days to submit proof that the arrest did not lead to a disqualifying conviction.8eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
Fixing Your Record or Asking for a Waiver
If the record is wrong, you can submit documentation showing that charges were dismissed, that a conviction was overturned on appeal, or that the record was expunged. A corrected criminal history from the court or agency that holds it will support the correction.10U.S. Department of Homeland Security. General Instruction for Criminal Disqualifications
Even with a valid disqualifying conviction, you can ask TSA for a waiver. TSA weighs five things: the circumstances of the offense, any restitution you’ve made, completion of court-ordered treatment programs, medical documentation of restored mental capacity where relevant, and any other evidence of rehabilitation.11Transportation Security Administration. What if I Receive a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility Letter
Losing PreCheck After You’ve Been Approved
Approval isn’t the end of the vetting. TSA runs recurrent background checks on every enrolled member, and conduct at the airport can cost you the benefit. Actions that lead to suspension or revocation include:12Transportation Security Administration. Can I Be Disqualified or Suspended from TSA PreCheck
- Bringing a firearm, explosive, or other prohibited item to a checkpoint or onboard an aircraft
- Interfering with flight crew or security operations
- Making a bomb threat
- Providing false or fraudulent documents
- Committing assault or threatening violence on an aircraft
A first offense can bring a suspension of up to five years. Egregious incidents or repeat violations can end in permanent disqualification. If recurrent vetting flags new criminal activity, TSA can suspend the membership while it investigates, a review that usually takes under 30 days but can run as long as 90.12Transportation Security Administration. Can I Be Disqualified or Suspended from TSA PreCheck
If You’re Denied
A denial arrives as a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility letter. You have 60 days from the date you receive it to respond, and you can request an appeal, a waiver, or both. If you need longer, ask for an extension within that same 60-day window.11Transportation Security Administration. What if I Receive a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility Letter
If the problem isn’t a criminal record, and you’re being flagged for extra screening despite having no disqualifying history, the right channel is the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program. DHS TRIP handles cases of misidentification and incorrect flagging, and it coordinates the response across TSA, CBP, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, and the State Department.13U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP)