How to Apply for or Renew TSA PreCheck on the Official Site

A search for PreCheck renewal often turns up paid ads and emails that look official but charge extra, and TSA does not refund money paid to a fraudulent site. The one rule that keeps you safe: every real PreCheck application or renewal page ends in .gov, and only three companies are authorized to take your fee.

Start from the TSA PreCheck page, not a search ad

Open the TSA PreCheck page and use its links to one of the three enrollment providers: IDEMIA, Telos, or CLEAR. Each address ends in .tsa.dhs.gov. Any site that ends in .com, or asks for a "processing" or "expedite" fee on top, is not one of them. As of October 2026, new enrollment costs $79.75 with IDEMIA, $84.95 with CLEAR and $85.00 with Telos, for five years.

Fill in the short online application

Pick a provider and complete its online form, which takes a few minutes. Use your name exactly as it appears on the document you will bring. First-time applicants normally pay at the appointment, not online; CLEAR is the only provider that lets you pay during the online step.

Bring the right documents to the enrollment center

Book a slot or walk in at a center from the enrollment center finder. One document is enough if it is an unexpired US passport, a green card, or an enhanced driver's license. Otherwise bring a REAL ID-compliant license plus an original or certified birth certificate or naturalization certificate. If your name has changed, add the original or certified marriage, divorce or court document. The required identification page has the full list. Fingerprints, photo and payment take about 10 minutes.

Renew online before the old number expires

You can renew up to six months before the expiration date, and the new five years start when the old ones end, so renewing early costs nothing. TSA recommends at least 60 days ahead. Go to the renewal page and pick a provider; online renewal needs your name, date of birth and Known Traveler Number (KTN). As of October 2026, online renewal is $58.75 at IDEMIA, $69.95 at Telos and $72.95 at CLEAR. A flight booked before your KTN expires still gets no PreCheck if you fly after it lapses.

Add your KTN to every booking

Enter the KTN, with your name and date of birth exactly as enrolled, in each airline reservation and frequent flyer profile. Most applicants get the number in 3 to 5 days; some wait up to 60. If you lost it, use the KTN lookup that TSA links to.

If the PreCheck mark is missing from your boarding pass. Ask the airline to check that the KTN, name and date of birth on the reservation match your enrollment exactly. Children 12 and under can use the lane with you; ages 13 to 17 need the mark on their own pass.

If you already paid a look-alike site. Report it to your local police and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, then dispute the charge with your card issuer.

Sources. TSA PreCheck, TSA PreCheck FAQ, TSA PreCheck renewals, TSA PreCheck required identification, TSA FAQ on expired KTNs, ReportFraud.ftc.gov.