TSA expands PreCheck access for Gold Star families, military spouses ahead of Independence Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In honor of Independence Day and the sacrifices made by military families, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced a new initiative to ease air travel for members of the U.S. military community.
Beginning this summer, TSA and its TSA PreCheck® enrollment partners — CLEAR, IDEMIA and Telos — will waive the TSA PreCheck enrollment fee for Gold Star family members. These families, which include the spouses, parents, children and siblings of fallen U.S. service members, will be able to enroll at no cost.
“This Independence Day and beyond, TSA reaffirms its commitment to ease travel for the military community through its TSA PreCheck program by providing it free to Gold Star families, discounting it for military spouses and creating expedited lanes for service members,” said TSA Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.
Additionally, military spouses will be eligible for a $25 discount on TSA PreCheck enrollment. TSA says this benefit is designed to support military families who frequently travel for reassignments or to visit service members.
TSA PreCheck offers expedited screening, reduced wait times and dedicated security lanes at participating airports nationwide.
To improve accessibility, TSA is also launching mobile enrollment events near major military bases, allowing eligible individuals to sign up without needing to travel to enrollment centers.
In partnership with enrollment providers, TSA will also introduce dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes or front-of-line privileges for service members at select airports near large military installations.
Military personnel and Department of Defense (DOD) civilian staff can continue to access TSA PreCheck free of charge by entering their DOD ID number as their Known Traveler Number when booking flights. Children 12 and under can accompany eligible adults through TSA PreCheck lanes, while those aged 13 to 17 must be on the same reservation.
TSA also reminds travelers of the TSA Cares program, which provides individualized assistance during the screening process for veterans and wounded warriors.
For more information or to enroll, visit www.tsa.gov/military.
