Verify with ease.
A quick photo is all it takes for the fastest way to verify ID.
What is TSA PreCheck Touchless ID?
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID enhances the security screening process with facial recognition technology for faster, more efficient identity verification. Enrolled travelers with participating airlines can move through dedicated lanes with ease, enjoying a smoother and more convenient airport experience—an effortless way to start your travels.
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TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is available to current TSA PreCheck travelers at select security checkpoints and airports.
Interested passengers must opt-in during flight check-in with participating airlines.
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID participating airlines and locations:
Delta Airlines (ATL, DCA, DTW, JFK, LAX, LGA, SLC)
United Airlines (ATL, DCA, EWR, LAS, LAX, LGA, ORD, SLC)
Alaska Airlines (DCA)
Where is it available?
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TSA PreCheck Touchless ID requires:
- Active airline profile with a participating airline
- Current TSA PreCheck traveler
- Valid passport holder
Am I eligible?
How do I participate?
Update your airline profile
Add the following information to your profile with a valid participating airline:
- Enter Known Traveler Number (KTN)
- Enter valid passport number and country
- Select “OPT IN” on your profile or at airline check-in: Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines
Check your boarding pass
The TSA PreCheck Touchless ID indicator must appear on your mobile boarding pass to enter the dedicated TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lane.
Bring physical ID as a back-up
Even those who opt-in to the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program must carry a physical ID and present it if asked by a TSA Officer
Why use TSA PreCheck Touchless ID?
More convenient
Follow airport signs to the dedicated TSA PreCheck Touchless ID queue. When your face is all you need to verify your identity, there’s no fumbling with physical documents.
More efficient
Speeds up the TSA PreCheck process even further, saving valuable time. More secure Powered by advanced technology to enhance identity verification and security.
More privacy
TSA officers now use biometric cameras to assist with identity verification. Your photo and personal data are deleted after your identity is verified. Images are not used for law enforcement, surveillance, nor shared with other entities. Find out more at TSA and DHS Privacy Impact Assessments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do passengers still need to bring physical IDs to the airports?
Yes. Currently, all passengers must continue to have physical IDs on hand. If a digital ID cannot be verified at the TSA security checkpoint, a passenger must use an acceptable physical identity document (e.g., driver’s license, passport) for identity verification.
Does TSA protect all data (e.g., photos) collected during testing of facial recognition technology?
Yes. TSA is committed to protecting passenger privacy. Under normal operating conditions TSA facial recognition technology deletes traveler data and images immediately after your identity is verified. If you use TSA PreCheck® Touchless Identity Solution, your information is deleted 24 hours after your scheduled departure time.
In rare instances TSA will collect and temporarily retain photos and data to test the accuracy of TSA’s facial recognition technology. These data collection mode events are limited in time and place and begin with passenger notification signs. If you decline to participate you will receive standard identity verification and will not lose your place in line.
We secure all personal data and images used or temporarily stored by our facial recognition technology. Additionally, all of TSA’s facial recognition technologies adhere to DHS and TSA cybersecurity requirements.
How is TSA addressing concerns related to the accuracy of biometric technologies, including facial recognition?
TSA’s use of biometric solutions is based on rigorous scientific study and analysis. We are aware of a variety of public concerns related to the accuracy of facial recognition and other biometric technologies and take those concerns seriously. We study biometric solutions in both laboratories and operational environments to identify and mitigate performance issues. Accuracy and equity in biometric system performance are key issues for TSA and travelers alike. TSA works closely and regularly with external stakeholders to provide timely and detailed updates on our facial recognition technologies and the benefits they provide to secure and convenient travel.
How will this make U.S. flights more secure?
Facial recognition technology and digital IDs improve the performance and security of TSA operations by increasing the accuracy and reliability of passenger identity verification. Facial recognition technology automates part of the current manual procedures and allows professional screening personnel to leverage their training and experience to focus more on alarms and error resolution.
Is TSA using facial identification recognition technology to profile and deport passengers?
No. TSA is using facial recognition technology at the airport to improve and automate identity verification of passengers, not for law enforcement or immigration enforcement purposes. Additionally, TSA does not tolerate racial profiling. Profiling is not an effective way to perform security screening. TSA personnel are trained to treat every passenger with dignity and respect.
What happens if TSA is not able to match my biometrics live photo to my travel documents?
If TSA is unable to obtain a match through facial recognition technology, the TSA officer will use standard passenger identity verification procedures.
What role has biometric technology played in TSA’s response to COVID-19?
TSA prioritizes the health and safety of our officers and the traveling public.
Some of our Travel Document Checker positions offer travelers the ability to insert their own ID cards and passports into readers. Personal devices with digital IDs and mobile driver’s licenses should always be presented by the traveler and should never be handled by the TSA officer.
Some of our Travel Document Checker positions also have Plexiglas panels to retard the airflow between travelers and officers.
TSA PreCheck® Touchless Identity Solution, currently in operational assessment, eliminates the need for travelers to present a passport, ID card, or personal device with a digital ID. Instead, the traveler volunteers to allow TSA to match their live photo with a stored photo from a passport or other source document. (Travelers should always carry a physical form of acceptable ID.) For travelers opting in to TSA PreCheck Touchless Identity Solution, their face is their ID.
When TSA conducts a test event and data is collected and temporarily saved, how is my data protected?
Consistent with the DHS Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs), TSA retains personally identifiable information (PII) only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the specified purpose(s) of testing the accuracy of facial recognition technology. DHS FIPPs and TSA’s PIAs provide guidance on matters such as transparency, specific use limitations, data minimization, and purpose specification for our facial recognition technology. Additional information on data protection procedures for each test is available in TSA’s PIAs. In short, TSA informs the traveler in advance of data collection, securely transits the data and images for testing, then deletes the data.