TSA Pre-Check for 13YO

[MrErk]

Has anyone signed up their kids for TSA Precheck? 12 and under can use Precheck with their parents. Over 12 they need to get their own KTN. One of the requirements is a picture ID, which he does not have. Called the TSA, they say the state will issue him a picture ID. Call the state RMV, find out the state will not issue one until he is 14. I'm sure by now you can guess how old he is, that's right, 13. Is there any other way other than a passport?

 

[rwdavis2]

Has anyone signed up their kids for TSA Precheck? 12 and under can use Precheck with their parents. Over 12 they need to get their own KTN. One of the requirements is a picture ID, which he does not have. Called the TSA, they say the state will issue him a picture ID. Call the state RMV, find out the state will not issue one until he is 14. I'm sure by now you can guess how old he is, that's right, 13. Is there any other way other than a passport?

You probably need a passport. If TSA want's a photo ID for pre-check then that's what you're going to have to get.

 

[n2mm]

It must be a state thing. Here in WV kids can get a state picture ID from dmv for$10 for 2 years. We plan to get our granddaughter tsa precheck in march. But she has a passport.

 

[bumbershoot]

Interesting.

Fwiw, when we all book together we have gotten Pre bc of DH’s global entry. Except on sw.

As ds approached 13 we applied for NEXUS for me and him. It’s free for minors and only $50 for adults. Gives easy access to Canada, plus global entry, plus precheck.

So once you get the passport, if you have any nearby nexus centers and want to go that route, it’s an option.

 

[MrErk]

It must be a state thing. Here in WV kids can get a state picture ID from dmv for$10 for 2 years. We plan to get our granddaughter tsa precheck in march. But she has a passport.

Your granddaughter should be all set since she has a passport. My wife is going for her interview on Friday and is going to ask then. Worst case scenario is we won’t be able to use it this trip.

 

[MrErk]

Interesting.

Fwiw, when we all book together we have gotten Pre bc of DH’s global entry. Except on sw.

As ds approached 13 we applied for NEXUS for me and him. It’s free for minors and only $50 for adults. Gives easy access to Canada, plus global entry, plus precheck.

So once you get the passport, if you have any nearby nexus centers and want to go that route, it’s an option.

We will probably do global entry once we get passports.

 

[bumbershoot]

We will probably do global entry once we get passports.

Nexus is a bigger pain but is free for minors and cheaper than Ge for adults. That’s the main reason we did it. And it gives you more.

 

[SSRFred]

In our case, DH and I got precheck first. Ever since then, both of our kids, 1 under 13 and 1 over 13 got precheck on their boarding passes every time we traveled. Obviously there is no guarantee that will happen for you, but you could wait to sign him up until he gets a passport and he may get precheck while traveling on the same itinerary with you. This summer, since we had new credit cards that would reimburse us for the cost, we signed both kids up for precheck using their passports as ID.

 

[n2mm]

In our case, DH and I got precheck first. Ever since then, both of our kids, 1 under 13 and 1 over 13 got precheck on their boarding passes every time we traveled. Obviously there is no guarantee that will happen for you, but you could wait to sign him up until he gets a passport and he may get precheck while traveling on the same itinerary with you. This summer, since we had new credit cards that would reimburse us for the cost, we signed both kids up for precheck using their passports as ID.

And that is never the case for us. Our granddaughters never get precheck on their boarding passes. All four of us adults all have precheck, but when we print boarding passes with SW or JetBlue, the girls never get it noted on their boarding passes. They fly about 6 times a year and both have FF accounts with both JetBlue and SW and both have passports, yet never gotten precheck. They, of course always go through with us or their parents.

 

[MrErk]

Nexus is a bigger pain but is free for minors and cheaper than Ge for adults. That’s the main reason we did it. And it gives you more.

Nexus doesn’t really look like an option for us. The nearest interview place is about 4.5 hours away. But you are right, it does look like the better deal.

 

[SSRFred]

And that is never the case for us. Our granddaughters never get precheck on their boarding passes. All four of us adults all have precheck, but when we print boarding passes with SW or JetBlue, the girls never get it noted on their boarding passes. They fly about 6 times a year and both have FF accounts with both JetBlue and SW and both have passports, yet never gotten precheck. They, of course always go through with us or their parents.

How interesting that it never happens for your family. It always surprised me when it happened for us. We always fly Delta.

 

[MrErk]

Follow up:

My wife went for her pre-check interview today. According to the person doing the interview, he would need either a passport or a state issued picture ID. Other states may be different, but Massachusetts will not issue an ID until he turns 14. YMMV. Thanks for the replies everybody.

 

[Shanti]

Has anyone signed up their kids for TSA Precheck? 12 and under can use Precheck with their parents. Over 12 they need to get their own KTN. One of the requirements is a picture ID, which he does not have. Called the TSA, they say the state will issue him a picture ID. Call the state RMV, find out the state will not issue one until he is 14. I'm sure by now you can guess how old he is, that's right, 13. Is there any other way other than a passport?

I'm taking my 12 year-old son to his TSA Pre-Check interview tomorrow, and the confirmation screen said he needed a passport. That's the only government-issued photo ID I'm aware of for a child.

 

[LadyBeBop]

I'm taking my 12 year-old son to his TSA Pre-Check interview tomorrow, and the confirmation screen said he needed a passport. That's the only government-issued photo ID I'm aware of for a child.

It appears you can get a Texas ID card for your 12-year old. That should suffice. I believe you can get one where you get your drivers license. They're $15, and you have to sign for him as his parent.

Most states allow minors to obtain state IDs at any age. A few states do have age limits, but very few are above age 13. OP, unfortunately lives in Massachusetts, and you have to be 14 to obtain a state ID.

I know it's probably too late for OP, but he, and those living in the age 14-15 ID states, should contact their state legislature for an ID age change. This isn't the first time I've heard about 13 to 15 year olds caught in this gap of not being able to obtain pre-check without a passport.

 

[Shanti]

It appears you can get a Texas ID card for your 12-year old. That should suffice.

The TSA paperwork stated that he had to have a passport. That's okay for us, as he does have one.

 

[bumbershoot]

And that is never the case for us. Our granddaughters never get precheck on their boarding passes. All four of us adults all have precheck, but when we print boarding passes with SW or JetBlue, the girls never get it noted on their boarding passes. They fly about 6 times a year and both have FF accounts with both JetBlue and SW and both have passports, yet never gotten precheck. They, of course always go through with us or their parents.

Are they booked on the same reservation as the adults?

I know it's probably too late for OP, but he, and those living in the age 14-15 ID states, should contact their state legislature for an ID age change. This isn't the first time I've heard about 13 to 15 year olds caught in this gap of not being able to obtain pre-check without a passport.

From when I was reading about it after seeing this post, bringing it down to 14 was actually a semi recent change.

 

[n2mm]

Are they booked on the same reservation as the adults?

Yes! When they fly with me they are on my itinerary and when they fly with mom they are on her itinerary. All four of us adults have KTN numbers, but the 2 girls have never gotten tsa precheck on any of their boarding passes in either direction. Crazy...esp when folks post that their kids get it. So when our 12 year old granddaughter turns 13 in march she’ll be getting her own KTN. On our trip home last week the agent didnt believe she was 12. My daughter offered to show her passport, but the agent just reluctantly waved her in.

 

[bumbershoot]

Interesting!

Though the one time we all flew sw after Dh got global entry (which gives you, and gave him that trip, precheck) ds and I didn’t get it.

So the then 12 year old went through with Dh and I went through slow security.

And we’ve never flown JB (I think you mentioned just sw and JB) with Dh since he got ge or since son and I got nexus so I don’t know how they normally work.

 

[crazywig]

Follow up:

My wife went for her pre-check interview today. According to the person doing the interview, he would need either a passport or a state issued picture ID. Other states may be different, but Massachusetts will not issue an ID until he turns 14. YMMV. Thanks for the replies everybody.

I'm also in MA. What I did was get passport cards (the $40 ones that allow you to drive into Canada but you can't fly with them)for my kids last year when they were 12 and 14. I was renewing my passport anyway so did it all at once. I never ended up signing up for pre-check though they do use the cards as ID when we fly now.