TSA Pre-Check 13 year old

[pschro1]

So we are traveling on our first ever disney cruise next year. My oldest will turn 13 shortly before the cruise to he wont be able to be put under my wife and mine pre-check's. The TSA website does say that he could still be given pre-check but there isnt a guarantee. I am not opposed to getting him his own but I was just looking for other people experience with "pre-teen" kids getting pre-check. Also, he turns 13 a week before we are supposed to leave. Does anyone know if we can start the process before his birthday even though he is 12?

 

[Leigh L]

So we are traveling on our first ever disney cruise next year. My oldest will turn 13 shortly before the cruise to he wont be able to be put under my wife and mine pre-check's. The TSA website does say that he could still be given pre-check but there isnt a guarantee. I am not opposed to getting him his own but I was just looking for other people experience with "pre-teen" kids getting pre-check. Also, he turns 13 a week before we are supposed to leave. Does anyone know if we can start the process before his birthday even though he is 12?

We applied for DD's pre-check about 5 weeks before her 13th birthday (I just looked up the email we rec'd from TSA and the date).

We went for the sure thing and didn't want to chance they wouldn't issue DD a pre-check with the rest of us. Even with pre-check sometimes it doesn't show up on the boarding pass.

 

[EACarlson]

If he has a passport you can apply for Global Entry for him now and be sure you have a KTN before your trip.

 

[pschro1]

He doesn’t have a passport yet. We will probably wait until the beginning of next year before we apply for them.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

So long as he's booked on the same itinerary as the parents he will be given pre-check. They will not send a 13-year old through security solo.

I have Pre, my partner doesn't. My kids are both old enough to not fall into my Pre, but have been given Pre on every leg flown in the last 2 years despite being able to be put with my partner in the regular line.

 

[RoseGold]

Don't you need a passport to go on the cruise? Just get global entry for him, and it comes with pre-check.

 

[EACarlson]

So long as he's booked on the same itinerary as the parents he will be given pre-check. They will not send a 13-year old through security solo.

I have Pre, my partner doesn't. My kids are both old enough to not fall into my Pre, but have been given Pre on every leg flown in the last 2 years despite being able to be put with my partner in the regular line.

It's possible, even likely, but it is not assured that children over the age of 12 will be given pre-check because they are travelling with someone that has it.

 

[pschro1]

We will make sure they get passports in time for the cruise. I am not against getting him "his own" KTN but I wasnt sure if TSA would allow you to apply early.

 

[Jimsig]

Last summer we applied for Pre-Check at the end of June for my DD who did not turn 13 until Aug and we had a trip 8 days after her birthday.

 

[reddog21]

So long as he's booked on the same itinerary as the parents he will be given pre-check. They will not send a 13-year old through security solo.

I have Pre, my partner doesn't. My kids are both old enough to not fall into my Pre, but have been given Pre on every leg flown in the last 2 years despite being able to be put with my partner in the regular line.

Yes they will, it happened to us. Even with pre-check it clearly states that your not guaranteed to get it.

One would assume that a responsible parent would go thru the line with there kid not just wish them the best of luck and see you on the other side of security?

 

[sam_gordon]

So long as he's booked on the same itinerary as the parents he will be given pre-check. They will not send a 13-year old through security solo.

But TSA isn't sending a 13-year old through security solo. That would be the parents doing so. TSA could only say he can't use the pre-check line. I would think a responsible parent (depending on a LOT of factors... maturity of the teen, experience with TSA... size of the TSA area among others) would go with him.

Don't you need a passport to go on the cruise? Just get global entry for him, and it comes with pre-check.

No you don't. Providing the cruise is starting and ending at the same US port and you're a US Citizen, all you need is a birth certificate and ID (not sure if the ID is needed for a 13 year old).

 

[LadyBeBop]

But TSA isn't sending a 13-year old through security solo. That would be the parents doing so. TSA could only say he can't use the pre-check line. I would think a responsible parent (depending on a LOT of factors... maturity of the teen, experience with TSA... size of the TSA area among others) would go with him.

No you don't. Providing the cruise is starting and ending at the same US port and you're a US Citizen, all you need is a birth certificate and ID (not sure if the ID is needed for a 13 year old).

Last year, we took our then 13-year-old granddaughter on a closed-loop cruise. Birth certificate only. No ID or passport.

OP, what state do you live in? You'll have a Catch-22 situation in a few states. You need a state-issued ID to get pre-check, but a few states won't offer ID for those under a certain age. In New Jersey, you have to be 14. I think a few other states are 14 or 15.

 

[rlk]

This past weekend a family in front of me had to have one parent leave the pre-check line with the one child who didn't have pre-check. The other parent and child went through pre-check. The TSA agent was very nice and allowed the two who had to leave the pre-check line to jump ahead of most of the regular security line.

 

[pschro1]

Thank you all. We will get him (and a younger brother) a passport. It also sounds like that even though he would still be 12, we can get him his own KTN a little bit early so that we have the number before our trip.

 

[RoseGold]

No you don't. Providing the cruise is starting and ending at the same US port and you're a US Citizen, all you need is a birth certificate and ID (not sure if the ID is needed for a 13 year old).

That seems like a colossally bad idea if you have to get off the boat for some reason. I'd get him a passport and Global Entry. If you can afford a Disney cruise, you can afford a passport and Global Entry.

 

[sam_gordon]

That seems like a colossally bad idea if you have to get off the boat for some reason. I'd get him a passport and Global Entry. If you can afford a Disney cruise, you can afford a passport and Global Entry.

While I agree having a passport is the better plan, that doesn't change the fact that it's not a requirement for a closed loop cruise. And, really has no bearing on whether the teen would get TSA pre-check "inherited" from the parents.

 

[pschro1]

I dont mean to de-rail the post but I see a lot of talk of global entry. We travel maybe once a year and it has always been domestic. Do you find global entry being worth it? My wife and I just have the regular Pre-Check. Doing some quick google searching, Global Entry isnt even available at port canaveral. What would we get our of paying the higher cost for Global Entry versus regular Pre-Check?

 

[sam_gordon]

I dont mean to de-rail the post but I see a lot of talk of global entry. We travel maybe once a year and it has always been domestic. Do you find global entry being worth it? My wife and I just have the regular Pre-Check. Doing some quick google searching, Global Entry isnt even available at port canaveral. What would we get our of paying the higher cost for Global Entry versus regular Pre-Check?

Just my opinion, but if you're not doing much international travel, I don't see how GE can be beneficial. FWIW, we sailed out of Port Canaveral last year. None of us had GE. Absolutely ZERO wait to get through customs/security.

Heck, even the US Website touting the benefits of GE just says it's available at "major AIRPORTS". https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/benefits

 

[RoseGold]

I dont mean to de-rail the post but I see a lot of talk of global entry. We travel maybe once a year and it has always been domestic. Do you find global entry being worth it? My wife and I just have the regular Pre-Check. Doing some quick google searching, Global Entry isnt even available at port canaveral. What would we get our of paying the higher cost for Global Entry versus regular Pre-Check?

Global Entry isn't higher cost and includes precheck. Global Entry is $100 for 10 years, TSA Precheck is $70 for 5. Lots of fancy credit cards pay for Global Entry as a perk too. Kids' passports aren't valid that long, so maybe not the biggest reason in this case.

Customs at my home airport are an absolute nightmare. Global Entry is a must for me, and I would keep it up even if I didn't have international flights planned.

 

[Jimsig]

OP, what state do you live in? You'll have a Catch-22 situation in a few states. You need a state-issued ID to get pre-check, but a few states won't offer ID for those under a certain age. In New Jersey, you have to be 14. I think a few other states are 14 or 15.

You can also use a passport