TSA PreCheck Check Status: Lookup Steps and Global Entry Delays

To run a tsa precheck check status lookup, use the status page of the enrollment provider you applied through: IDEMIA/UES, CLEAR or Telos. If you applied through Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI, TSA's sites have nothing to show you: your PreCheck starts only after your in-person interview, when CBP issues your PASSID.

tsa precheck check status: the lookup for standalone PreCheck applicants

Three providers now enroll people in TSA PreCheck. Your status sits with the one you used.

CLEAR's status form asks for your first, middle and last name, date of birth and country of birth. TSA's FAQ links a tool for people who forgot which provider they used. That FAQ page also still says CLEAR and Telos would launch "by the end of 2021", so treat that line as out of date.

The application takes about 5 minutes online, plus a roughly 10-minute in-person appointment. Most applicants get a Known Traveler Number (KTN) in 3 to 5 days. Some wait up to 60 days. Approval notices also arrive by email, phone or text, depending on the preferences you chose. The phone line listed for the application program is 855-347-8371, weekdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.

An active record shows your status, a "TSA PreCheck Expiration Date" field and your KTN. KTNs from the PreCheck application program are 9 characters and typically begin with TT.

Other ways to confirm you are active

• Your airline frequent-flyer profile, if you saved your KTN there.
• The boarding pass. Look for TSAPRECHK, TSA PRE or TSA PreCheck. Without the indicator you cannot use the lane.

Applied through Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI: your interview date sets your PreCheck date

You check status in your Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) account. The status that matters is Conditionally Approved. The background check has cleared, but no PASSID or KTN has been issued yet, so you have no PreCheck yet.

For these programs, your KTN is the 9-digit CBP PASSID. It usually starts with 15, 98 or 99, and it is printed on the back of the card and shown in your TTP account. The PASSID is issued after the interview. The card by itself does not get you into the PreCheck lane; the number has to be on your reservation.

Two numbers frame the wait:

• CBP says 80% of Global Entry applications are approved within 2 weeks, and some take 12 months or longer.
• After conditional approval you have 365 days to finish the interview. Miss that and you reapply and pay the $120 fee again.

The CBP fee is $120 for Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI alike, and each membership lasts 5 years. Global Entry includes PreCheck.

Worked example: when does PreCheck start, and is a bridge worth $85?

The dates below are made up so the arithmetic is visible. Replace the interview date with the next bookable date at your center on Global Entry appointment availability, or on NEXUS wait times or SENTRI wait times. Treat that as the next bookable date; a slot can be taken before you click.

You already paid $120 when you applied. A standalone PreCheck membership costs $78 to $85 for 5 years depending on the provider; this example uses $85.

That works out to roughly $6.40 per week of earlier PreCheck in the fast case and $15.70 per week in the slow case. These figures assume you start the standalone application the day you are conditionally approved. Divide $85 by the number of flights you will take in the gap to see your cost per trip. If you fly once before June, the bridge costs $85 for one faster security line. If your center has an interview within a few weeks, the bridge buys almost nothing.

For the program trade-offs, see the comparison page. For current interview waits by center, see Global Entry wait times.

PreCheck missing from your boarding pass

Work through these in order:

1. Check that the membership has not expired.
2. Make sure the name, date of birth and KTN on the reservation match your enrollment exactly.
3. Confirm the airline participates in PreCheck.
4. Call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673. TSA asks you to contact it within 3 days before or after travel.

Expiration and renewal

Membership lasts 5 years. You can renew online up to 6 months before expiry. TSA recommends starting at least 60 days ahead, because PreCheck stops once the KTN expires, even on flights you booked earlier. Reminder notices go out at 6 months, 3 months, 1 month and 2 weeks before expiry.

Hearing about an earlier interview

The interview date is the only thing that moves a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI PreCheck start date. GlobalEntryTexts texts you when an interview appointment opens at the enrollment centers you choose, up to 3 centers per 30-day window. It costs $25, paid once, for 30 days of monitoring, and it is not a subscription. You book the appointment yourself on ttp.dhs.gov.