If you already hold an active TSA PreCheck membership — or you receive PreCheck benefits through Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI — you’re a few taps away from the fastest line at the airport. TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is a free, optional upgrade that uses facial comparison to verify your identity at the security checkpoint in under three seconds. No new application, no extra fee, no in-person visit.

Instead of pulling out your ID and boarding pass, you look into a camera and walk through. As of spring 2026, the service is live at more than 65 airports nationwide. The most recent addition is Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where TSA opened a Touchless ID lane in the newly expanded Central Security Checkpoint on May 19, 2026.

Are you eligible?

Yes — if either of these applies:

• You hold an active TSA PreCheck membership.
• You receive PreCheck benefits through Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI. Your Global Entry PASS ID already counts as your Known Traveler Number (KTN), so you don’t need to add a separate PreCheck membership.

You also need to be 18 or older and flying a participating airline out of an airport where Touchless ID is live.

What you’ll need before you opt in

Gather three things before you tap into your airline app:

• Your Known Traveler Number — your TSA PreCheck number, or your Global Entry PASS ID if you came in through Trusted Traveler.
• A valid U.S. passport. You may need to photograph the photo page so your airline can attach it to your profile.
• A frequent flyer account with a participating airline (American, Delta, United, Southwest, or Alaska).

How to opt in

The opt-in lives inside your airline profile, not on a TSA site. The exact menu path varies by carrier, but the steps line up the same way: log in, confirm your KTN is saved, add your passport, and check the Touchless ID box. It takes a few minutes, and you only need to renew once a year.

• American Airlines — AAdvantage profile → Settings → Information and Password. Save your KTN and passport, then check the opt-in box for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID.
• Delta Air Lines — SkyMiles profile → Personal Details. Store your KTN and passport, then opt in within your rewards profile in the Fly Delta app or on delta.com.
• United Airlines — United app → TSA PreCheck and Travel Documents. Save your KTN and passport, then opt in on the same page.
• Southwest Airlines — Southwest app → Profile. Select TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, scan your passport with your phone, and add your KTN.
• Alaska Airlines — Mileage Plan profile → Profile & Settings. Add your KTN and passport, then turn on TSA PreCheck Touchless ID under the travel documents tab.

On travel day

Check your mobile boarding pass first. If the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID indicator appears, your airline has already passed your information to TSA and you’re cleared for that flight. Follow airport signs to the dedicated Touchless ID lane and look into the camera. The system matches your live photo against the passport image on file and waves you through.

A few things worth keeping in mind:

• Carry your physical REAL ID anyway. Touchless ID doesn’t replace your identification — TSA officers may still ask for it.
• Photos aren’t retained for surveillance. TSA deletes the live image after the match and doesn’t share it with law enforcement.
• Renewal is annual. Most airlines ask you to re-confirm your opt-in once a year so your passport and KTN stay current.

For my clients who already carry PreCheck or Global Entry, this is one of the simpler upgrades available right now. A few minutes inside an app you already use, and the security line gets shorter on every trip. If you’d like help confirming which of your travel documents are eligible — or you’re due for a passport renewal before you opt in — that’s exactly the kind of detail I keep track of when we plan your next trip.