Civil Enforcement

Federal law and operational considerations restrict the return of prohibited items that are left at the security checkpoint.

The choice to hire an attorney is solely your decision. You are afforded the options of requesting an Informal Conference or a Formal Hearing (see related questions below), with or without legal representation.

All disputes or mitigating information specific to an individual case must be submitted to the Special Enforcement Program Office in writing. The preferred way to contact us is by email, at NOV.APO@dhs.gov. If you are unable to contact us by email, you can send your correspondence, in writing, to:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Special Enforcement Program Office (TSA-801)
601 South 12th Street
Arlington, VA 20598-6801

Please include your full name, TSA case number and case agent’s name (found in the Notice of Violation), and your contact information (i.e., telephone numbers, mailing address, and email address).

The TSA interpretive rule found in the Federal Register (Vol. 68, No. 31) provides guidance to the public on the types of property TSA considers to be weapons, explosives, and incendiaries prohibited in airport sterile areas and in the cabins of aircraft under the TSA regulations. The interpretation also provides guidance on the types of items permitted in sterile areas, the cabins of passenger aircraft, and in passengers’ checked baggage. You may view the TSA interpretive rule in its entirety.

TSA’s civil penalty amounts are based on published Sanction Guidance. Proposed penalty amounts are generally set at the low end of each violation category range. In some cases, however, penalties may be higher based on aggravating circumstances present in the case (e.g. repeat violations). You read the TSA Sanction Guidance Table in its entirety. If you believe that you cannot afford the proposed amount, you may select Option 3 in the Options Sheet and follow the instructions provided.

Individuals who commit certain violations of Federal security regulations, such as interference with security operations, access control violations, providing false or fraudulent documents, making a bomb threat, or bring a firearm, explosive, or other prohibited items to an airport or on board an aircraft are be denied expedited screening for a period of time. The duration of disqualification for expedited screening will depend upon the seriousness of the offense and/or a repeated history of regulatory violations.

The notice of violation process and the TSA PreCheck® disqualification process are separate processes and are handled by different offices. Individuals with questions concerning their TSA PreCheck® status should contact the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673. Individuals with questions concerning their notice should contact their case agent in the Special Enforcement Program Office. Your case agent will not be able to assist you with questions concerning your TSA PreCheck® status, and the TCC will not be able to help you with questions concerning your notice of violation. Learn more aboutTSA PreCheck®.

The quickest way to contact the Special Enforcement Program Office is to email to NOV.APO@tsa.dhs.gov and include your full name, TSA case number and case agent’s name (found in the Notice of Violation), and your telephone number. 

You may also contact the Special Enforcement Program Office at (571) 227-3994. Be prepared to leave a message providing your name, phone number, the case number and correct spelling of the individual who is listed on the notice of violation, and your case agent’s name. Your message will be directed to your case agent for a return call. It is TSA's goal to return all calls within 72 hours; however, in the event of a delay, the date of your message will be taken into consideration.

You may submit your payment electronically through www.pay.gov, a secure website administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Select “DHS/TSA” on the “Find an Agency” page to access TSA civil penalty payments. Your TSA case number will begin with the number "2" and will consist of 11 characters.

You may also mail your payment with the payment page provided in your notice of violation to:

Transportation Security Administration
P.O. Box 530262
Atlanta, GA 30353-0262

If you are paying my check or money order, please make your payment payable to: Transportation Security Administration and write your case number and name on the check or money orders.

TSA is unable to advise passengers/individuals at the time of the incident whether or not they will be assessed a civil penalty. When an incident occurs, the screening personnel forward the information to the TSA regulatory department to determine if a violation of the Transportation Security Regulations occurred. Once the investigation has concluded and it is determined that a violation did occur, the individual is notified by a notice of violation.

A Notice of Violation is a civil matter, not criminal. The civil penalty associated with your Notice of Violation is a monetary penalty for a regulatory violation. Any criminal charges you may incur are separate from your civil matter with TSA and are handled by local or state courts. Your case with TSA does not dictate or eliminate your local or state charges and vice versa.

You may respond to the Notice of Volation by choosing one of the five options listed in the options sheet that is attached to your notice. Instructions for submitting your response are contained in the options sheet.

All communications with TSA in regard to a specific Notice of Violation must be made in writing with an appropriate options sheet selection by emailing NOV.APO@dhs.gov. Please include your full name, TSA case number and case agent’s name (found in the Notice of Violation), and your contact information (i.e., telephone numbers, mailing address, and email address) in your email. 

You may also respond by mail to:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Special Enforcement Program Office (TSA-801)
601 South 12th Street
Arlington, VA 20598-6801

Your response is due within 30 days of your receipt of the NOV.

Learn more by reviewing the regulation.

Learn more by reviewing the regulation.

You must wait until your hearing is scheduled. This task is not completed by the Special Enforcement Program Office, so please be patient and wait for your case to be called for the formal hearing.

The informal conference is a meeting with a TSA official to discuss your case. It allows you to present information that you would like the TSA to consider before making a final decision. If you request an Informal Conference, a TSA official will be assigned to your case and will contact you to schedule and hold the Informal Conference. Further action is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the facts and circumstances of each case.

If you fail to respond to the notice of violation within 30 days of receipt, TSA will issue you a final notice. If you fail to respond to the final notice within 15 days of receipt, TSA will then assess against you the full civil penalty amount proposed in your NOV, and may refer this matter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury or to the U.S. Department of Justice for collection of this debt owed to the U.S. government.

A notice of violation is a notification by TSA of the initiation of a civil penalty action against an individual for an alleged violation of a security requirement outlined in the Transportation Security Regulations.

The notice of violation was sent to you because you are alleged to have violated a security requirement when you were at an airport.

This option is a settlement offer by the TSA in an effort to resolve this matter fairly and quickly.