In recent months, there haven’t been many positive developments surrounding airport security in the U.S. After all, it was only a few weeks ago that the partial government shutdown led to major backups at many of the nation’s busiest hubs.
But we do have one piece of good news to share: One of the best new security shortcuts is now widely available at airports across the country.
The new TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program is officially available at more than 60 airports nationwide.
Late last month — in the midst of all the checkpoint chaos — the Transportation Security Administration quietly wrapped up an aggressive rollout of the fast-tracked, hands-free security lanes.
The below map from the TSA shows all the airports where the program is now available:
Fast expansion in 2026
Until just a few months ago, TSA PreCheck Touchless ID was only available at a short list of major hubs.
But in January, TPG reported the TSA was on the cusp of rapidly expanding the service to 50 additional U.S airports by spring. And despite a monthslong partial government shutdown (which technically is still ongoing), the TSA did, in fact, meet that target.
As shown in the map, the service is now available at nearly every major hub as well as at a significantly expanded array of medium-sized airports — from the world’s busiest to the airports in Jacksonville, Boise and Albuquerque.
Personally, I was happy to see the technology come online in recent weeks at my home airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina.
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What is TSA PreCheck Touchless ID?
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is available at no added cost to all TSA PreCheck members and to travelers who access the TSA PreCheck lanes by way of a Global Entry membership.
Read more: Best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck
These separate lanes allow flyers to skip the normal TSA PreCheck line and skip pulling out their boarding pass or ID; instead, the TSA verifies passenger identities via a quick photo.
It’s a similar experience to using the paid Clear service, but — again — doesn’t come at any additional cost beyond the TSA PreCheck (or Global Entry) application fee you pay every five years.
For many travelers across the country, these lanes were among the best “hacks” to avoid long lines when long lines boiled over at the peak of the shutdown.
The program is optional, but you must opt in ahead of time through your airline’s profile. Learn more about how to do that here.
Important details to know
Even if you opt into the process and your departure airport is listed as having the service, don’t automatically assume that you’ll be able to access TSA PreCheck Touchless ID.
While the speedy new lanes are now at 60-plus airports, the TSA notes that the option is not available in every terminal at every hub.
For that reason, you certainly should still bring a valid Real ID or approved alternative with you to the airport for your flight. (Plus, I’ve had plenty of cases where I’ve reached the checkpoint only to learn the technology was temporarily out of service.)
Six major airlines participate in the program, and several have linked to a full list of every airport where their flyers can access the Touchless ID service:
It’s not clear whether we’ll see the Touchless lanes at even more (and smaller) airports in the future.
Related reading:
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
