A faster way to get through airport security may be coming to an airport near you.
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, a new program that uses facial recognition, is expanding to 65 airports this spring. The expansion will prioritize 2026 World Cup host cities, where travel is expected to surge, said Transportation Security Administration spokesperson R. Carter Langston.
“Passengers seem to absolutely appreciate it — the speed, the efficiency,” Langston said. “All they show is their face, and the officer just waves them right into the checkpoint. No hassling with passports or IDs or phones.”
TSA launched the first iteration of the program in 2021 in partnership with Delta Air Lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It’s now available for five airlines across 22 airports.
Critics worry that the program raises privacy concerns. It is voluntary, and travelers can opt out at any time and use a standard ID verification instead.
What is PreCheck Touchless ID?
TSA said in an email that the initiative is a joint effort from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, airports and airlines that allows travelers “to move through dedicated lanes with ease, enjoying a smoother and more convenient airport experience.”
The program uses the CBP Traveler Verification Service to create “a secure biometric template of a passenger’s live facial image taken at the checkpoint and matches it against a gallery of templates of pre-staged photos that the passenger previously provided to the government (e.g., U.S. Passport or Visa),” the agency website said.
Who is eligible for PreCheck Touchless ID?
To use the program, fliers must be a current TSA PreCheck member with a valid known traveler number and an active airline profile (such as being enrolled in a loyalty program). They must also have a valid passport uploaded to their airline profile.
The airlines currently participating in the program include:
- Alaska
- American
- Delta
- Southwest
- United
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID offers current TSA PreCheck members an expedited airport security screening by way of “facial comparison technology.”
It’s only available at select airports, through participating airlines — which vary. For example, travelers at John F. Kennedy International Airport, but only if they are flying with Alaska, American or Delta. It is available at George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, but only for passengers flying with American. For a list of availability, visit the TSA website.
How can travelers opt in?
To use the program, travelers must first opt in through their airline’s website or app before checking in to their flight.
The process varies by airline, but you can generally find the prompt under a “travel documents” section (where you add your known traveler number or passport details) of your airline loyalty program app or website.
American Airlines customers, for example, will find the opt-in choice toward the bottom of the “Information and password” page of their AAdvantage profile, while Alaska Airlines customers should go to their account settings, then click into the “travel documents” section.
Once travelers have opted in, then checked in for their flight, a TSA PreCheck Touchless ID symbol should then appear on their boarding pass. If the symbol is not on your boarding pass, you won’t be able to use the lane, even if you show an employee that you are enrolled in the program.
At the airport, travelers should follow signs to a separate TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lane. Instead of handing an ID over to an officer to verify your identity, you’ll instead pause to scan your face, then keep moving.
Is it really faster?
It can be, for two reasons.
First: There is no slowdown to hand over and scan your ID; travelers must only pause during their walk through the line dividers before proceeding to the X-ray machines.
Second: Because the program is new, requires signing up in advance and is not available for every airline, it’s getting a fraction of the traffic that regular security, Clear or PreCheck lanes are.
We’ve had mixed results. When it works, it’s incredible; you really are through in seconds.
But we’ve also been delayed when the facial comparison machine was undergoing maintenance and out of use, sending us back into the longer PreCheck lane.
Which airports offer PreCheck Touchless ID?
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is already available at 22 airports (however, participating airlines will vary; check the TSA website for more information):
- Boston Logan International Airport
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
- Dulles International Airport
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport
- LaGuardia Airport
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Palm Beach International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Portland International Airport in Oregon
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- Salt Lake City International Airport
- San Francisco International Airport
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
What are the privacy concerns?
The TSA is using more facial recognition at the airport, including in regular security lanes and CBP checks.
The CBP says its Enhanced Passenger Processing involves taking a traveler’s photo using “auto capture technology” to simplify the inspection and adjudication process.
Travelers can also use biometric screenings to speed through Global Entry, using a CBP app.
TSA says on its website that it may share your information with “CBP, DHS S&T, or others as necessary.” The agency confirmed that includes sharing information about travelers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to check for deportation orders.
There has been a bipartisan effort to put more guardrails on its use at airports.
In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security said that photos of travelers were taken in a data breach, accessed through the network of one of its subcontractors. (TSA says its databases are encrypted).
A new Senate bill would allow officers to continue scanning travelers’ faces if they opt in; it would ban the technology’s use for anything other than verifying identities. It would also require the agency to immediately delete the scans once the check is complete.
If you change your mind about TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, you can opt out at any time and ask for standard ID verification instead. You can opt out of any facial recognition at the airport by saying, “I’d prefer a standard ID check.”
The agency also says it deletes photos and personal data within 24 hours of scheduled flight departures. The TSA website’s FAQ section addresses some privacy concerns and says that all data collected during facial comparison checks is protected.
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