Flying With Kids? Eligible Families Can Use TSA PreCheck Lanes Without Paying Extra for Children
Families traveling through U.S. airports may be able to make the security screening process quicker without paying extra for their children. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows eligible children to use TSA PreCheck lanes at no additional cost when traveling with a parent or guardian who has TSA PreCheck.
TSA PreCheck is a trusted traveler program that offers expedited security screening at participating airports. Travelers who qualify for the program can generally move through security checkpoints more quickly, making the airport experience easier, especially for families traveling with young children.
Parents and guardians with TSA PreCheck can bring eligible children through the expedited screening lane without the children needing to enroll in the program in most cases. This benefit applies to children who are traveling with the eligible adult and meet TSA’s age and reservation requirements.
Children who are 12 years old and younger can accompany a parent or guardian through the TSA PreCheck lane automatically when the adult’s boarding pass includes the TSA PreCheck indicator. These younger travelers do not need their own Known Traveler Number (KTN) to use the expedited lane.
For children between the ages of 13 and 17, the rules are slightly different. They may also use the TSA PreCheck lane without having their own Known Traveler Number, but only if the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on their own boarding pass. To help ensure eligibility, the child and the accompanying adult should be booked on the same airline reservation, and the adult must have TSA PreCheck displayed on their boarding pass.
Families should avoid entering a Known Traveler Number for children who do not have one. Leaving the KTN field blank during the reservation process helps prevent unnecessary issues with the booking.
The benefit does not extend to children traveling on a separate airline reservation from the adult with TSA PreCheck. In those situations, children without their own TSA PreCheck enrollment are not eligible to use the expedited screening lane for free.
Children who are traveling alone generally need to have their own TSA PreCheck membership if they want to access the expedited screening lane. Otherwise, they will go through the standard airport security process.
For families planning upcoming trips, understanding these eligibility rules before arriving at the airport can help reduce delays and make the security screening process more efficient. Checking boarding passes for the TSA PreCheck indicator and ensuring family members are booked together can help travelers take advantage of the available benefits.
Sources
- U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
