TSA PreCheck Enrollment Fee Has Decreased

Attention travelers (myself included), we can no longer avoid signing up for the expedited security service known as TSA PreCheck. On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) revealed that it has lowered the enrollment fee for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership from $85 to $78.

This price reduction arrives as the number of travelers at U.S. airports approaches—and sometimes exceeds—pre-pandemic levels for the first time since March 2020. It also coincides with the upcoming busy holiday travel season, a time when airport lines are likely to be lengthy due to ongoing staffing shortages affecting the air travel industry's challenging recovery from the pandemic.

Despite the headlines about long wait times at airports this year, 93 percent of TSA PreCheck travelers experience waits of under five minutes at TSA security checkpoints, according to the agency. For anyone who has ever been anxious in a long line as boarding time approaches (raises hand), that shortened wait could be invaluable.

TSA aims to boost enrollment in its TSA PreCheck program and alleviate airport congestion (along with the stress of missed flights) with its new lower sign-up fee. Effective November 4, the enrollment cost for TSA PreCheck is now $78, and the in-person renewal fee has also decreased from $85 to $78. Additionally, last year TSA reduced the online renewal fee from $85 to $70.

Regardless of the cost, frequent travelers affirm that the five-year membership is worth every cent. Recently, personal finance website FinanceBuzz surveyed 1,500 of its members who identified as TSA PreCheck members, and 92 percent stated that the fee ($85 during the survey) is justified by the benefits. In fact, they claimed they would be willing to pay an average of $224 for a TSA PreCheck membership and noted experiencing shorter lines at the airport 65 percent of the time.

TSA PreCheck members enjoy access to shorter and generally faster security lines, where pre-approved travelers are not required to remove their shoes, belts, or light jackets, nor do they have to take their laptops and 3.4-ounce liquid containers out of their bags and backpacks (another significant advantage). Moreover, parents and guardians with TSA PreCheck can accompany children aged 12 and under through the TSA PreCheck lanes.

How to Sign Up

Travelers wishing to enroll in the TSA PreCheck program can do so online or in person. They must then complete an in-person interview at one of over 500 enrollment centers, located at airports, office buildings, and various Staples stores nationwide. Applicants provide their fingerprints at the enrollment center, and once approved (after a background check), they will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN) that verifies their TSA PreCheck status.

TSA indicates that travelers can expect to receive their Known Traveler Number within three to five days after the in-person appointment. This is noteworthy because TSA’s Global Entry program, which streamlines the customs re-entry process into the United States and includes automatic enrollment in the TSA PreCheck program (priced at $100 for a five-year membership), is currently facing a significant processing backlog.

After TSA PreCheck members obtain their Known Traveler Number, they need to include it in their flight reservation to gain access to the TSA PreCheck lanes at over 200 airports, both domestic and international, across the United States.

When renewing their TSA PreCheck enrollment, travelers may or may not need to undergo another interview—TSA will notify applicants if an interview is necessary for their renewal.