TSA precheck questions about minors!

[basketlacey]

Hi everyone! We have an upcoming reservation for 5 - 3 adults, 16 yo and 13 yo. All flights were booked on individual reservations (long story). The 3 adults have TSA Precheck. Will my minor children be allowed in the precheck lines with the adults? Will they likely end up with precheck anyway?

Appreciate any advice. I’m not opposed to signing up my minors but the hours of our center conflict with school.

 

[sponica]

According to the website, only minors 12 and under are permitted to go through the pre-check lines. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequent...my-family-can-they-also-use-tsa-precheck-lane Now a TSA agent can decide to move anyone into the pre-check line (it's happened to me before).

The problem a lot of 13 to 15/16 year olds have in getting pre-check is that not all states issue picture IDs to residents who aren't old enough to drive...

 

[holden]

Yes. 13 and over need to have Precheck to go through. We got it for our DD14. She has a passport so it was easy. DD 10 is allowed to walk through with us.

 

[bumbershoot]

They almost certainly won’t get it on their boarding passes (since everyone was booked separately) and they are both too old to go through without it on their boarding passes. Pick an adult to go through with them.

As my son approached 13 he and I applied for NEXUS. $50 for me, free for minors, gives us easier access to Canada, global entry, and precheck. Not many centers for the interviews, and it’s two interviews back to back (one with a US officer then with a Canadian), but it was worth it the nearly 3 hour drive to the interview.

 

[n2mm]

Unless they get it on their boarding passes, they can not go with you. The cut off is under 13. My granddaughter just used it free with us for her last time last month. All four of us adults have precheck and none of my granddaughters have gotten it on their boarding passes even though they are on our itinerary, they are 10 and 12 currently. We will sign our granddaughter up in march when she turns 13. My granddaughter was grilled about her being only 12 last month. She’s 5’9”, my daughter offered to pull out her passport as proof, but the tsa agent just waived her on after that— my daughter said she can show her proof of age. I agree with other posters, another adult will have to go with the kids in the regular line, unless you sign them up for precheck prior.

Note, even though our sign up centers request appointments, they also take walkins.

 

[sunflare]

Note, even though our sign up centers request appointments, they also take walkins.

Not all do. The list of the ones that allow walk-ins is on the TSA website.

 

[n2mm]

Not all do. The list of the ones that allow walk-ins is on the TSA website.

It’s been a couple of years since we did ours. I believe some airports do walkin too. We hadn’t planned to do a walkin, but was an hour late for our appt, and we only had about a 15 minute wait. My daughter did a walkin also and had no wait. We choose a quiet location instead of an airport. The place we went to serviced PA, WV, MD, VA, areas, or we had to go to Dulles or BWI airports. They weren’t busy, but was steady and all appointments were filled. My daughter did a walkin because the wait for an appointment was over a month.

 

[sponica]

Not all do. The list of the ones that allow walk-ins is on the TSA website.

In theory ours takes walk ins, but only if someone no shows their appointment.

 

[Befferk]

Pick an adult to go through with them.

Question on this, because I had read somewhere (an article) that if you have Precheck on your boarding pass, you cannot go through the regular security line. For example, you get there, and see that the regular security line is shorter than Precheck, you still have to use Precheck. Can anyone confirm/deny this from personal experience?

 

[gillep]

Question on this, because I had read somewhere (an article) that if you have Precheck on your boarding pass, you cannot go through the regular security line. For example, you get there, and see that the regular security line is shorter than Precheck, you still have to use Precheck. Can anyone confirm/deny this from personal experience?

This has never been my experience. Before I had Precheck my husband would often come in the regular line with me, even though he had Precheck on his boarding pass. Even recently, I have waited in the regular line with my coworkers/family who do not have Precheck, even though it has been on my boarding pass. That's not to say that there isn't some TSA agent somewhere that won't allow it, but I have not encountered it.

 

[Befferk]

This has never been my experience. Before I had Precheck my husband would often come in the regular line with me, even though he had Precheck on his boarding pass. Even recently, I have waited in the regular line with my coworkers/family who do not have Precheck, even though it has been on my boarding pass. That's not to say that there isn't some TSA agent somewhere that won't allow it, but I have not encountered it.

Attached is a clip of the USA Today article (Nov 2017) that I had read recently. It talks about what if the Precheck line is longer, can you just go through the regular line, and it says no. So I had assumed the same in any other situation, if you have it, you have to use it. Glad to hear that they are not necessarily enforcing it.

 

[gillep]

Attached is a clip of the USA Today article (Nov 2017) that I had read recently. It talks about what if the Precheck line is longer, can you just go through the regular line, and it says no. So I had assumed the same in any other situation, if you have it, you have to use it. Glad to hear that they are not necessarily enforcing it.

The article really doesn't make any sense, I have never had anyone ever check my boarding pass to enter the regular line, the line is open for anyone to enter, the TSA agent doesn't 'allow' you to enter it. There is usually, but not always, someone at the entrance of the Precheck line, that won't let you in unless it is on your boarding pass, but I have personally not encountered anyone at the entrance of the regular line. When going through the regular line, I have had the agents direct me to the precheck scanners, but I still stood in the regular line until I got to the podium where TSA checks your boarding pass.

 

[Befferk]

The article really doesn't make any sense, I have never had anyone ever check my boarding pass to enter the regular line, the line is open for anyone to enter, the TSA agent doesn't 'allow' you to enter it. There is usually, but not always, someone at the entrance of the Precheck line, that won't let you in unless it is on your boarding pass, but I have personally not encountered anyone at the entrance of the regular line. When going through the regular line, I have had the agents direct me to the precheck scanners, but I still stood in the regular line until I got to the podium where TSA checks your boarding pass.

Thanks for sharing your experience!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Question on this, because I had read somewhere (an article) that if you have Precheck on your boarding pass, you cannot go through the regular security line. For example, you get there, and see that the regular security line is shorter than Precheck, you still have to use Precheck. Can anyone confirm/deny this from personal experience?

Not even a little bit true.

The article really doesn't make any sense, I have never had anyone ever check my boarding pass to enter the regular line, the line is open for anyone to enter, the TSA agent doesn't 'allow' you to enter it.

Agreed.

I think that article is trying to say that they aren’t going to turn a shorter line into a precheck line.

If you want to go to that shorter line you don’t get the precheck benefits. You’ll have to take out liquids and take off shoes etc.

As gillep said, no one checks your boarding pass at the entrance to the normal line. Anyone can get into that line.

 

[tjmw2727]

Not even a little bit true.



Agreed.

I think that article is trying to say that they aren’t going to turn a shorter line into a precheck line.

If you want to go to that shorter line you don’t get the precheck benefits. You’ll have to take out liquids and take off shoes etc.

As gillep said, no one checks your boarding pass at the entrance to the normal line. Anyone can get into that line.

Agree with this ^^

Last weekend my dd went through the regular line with her friend who didn't have pre-check as the friend hasn't flown much and wanted the company. The agent checking the boarding pass/id did remind my dd that she would have to remove her 3-1-1 bag, jacket shoes etc if she wanted to proceed through this checkpoint.

There is also one terminal at our airport that doesn't have tsa pre so occasionally depending on our gate and how long that line is I will use it and have never had an issue.

A good "PSA" for those of us who do have pre-check - always be prepared with your liquids in the 3-1-1 bag etc. in case you do have to use a regular checkpoint!

 

[rigs32]

A good "PSA" for those of us who do have pre-check - always be prepared with your liquids in the 3-1-1 bag etc. in case you do have to use a regular checkpoint!

Not exactly true.

I’ve had precheck for a few years now. A few times the precheck line will be closed down and I’ve gone through the regular line. I was given a card showing I was precheck and the only regular rule I had to follow was to remove a laptop.

This last weekend, Midway’s precheck was closed and no one knew where the cards were. I no longer pack a 3-1-1 bag and was concerned it would be an issue. The agent at front of the line just checked boarding passes again for precheck and sent us through the regular metal detector rather than the raise your arms one. Again, the only “normal” rule I had to follow was laptop removal.

 

[bumbershoot]

We’re all supposed to have our liquids in a 311 bag. Pre just means not having to take it out.

Do people get away with it? Sure. Does everyone? Nope. It’s a conversation I have on my essential oils board often; do some people get away with jam packing their purses full of 5ml bottles of EOs? Yep. Are we following tsa rules if we do that? My gosh no.

 

[tjmw2727]

Not exactly true.

I’ve had precheck for a few years now. A few times the precheck line will be closed down and I’ve gone through the regular line. I was given a card showing I was precheck and the only regular rule I had to follow was to remove a laptop.

This last weekend, Midway’s precheck was closed and no one knew where the cards were. I no longer pack a 3-1-1 bag and was concerned it would be an issue. The agent at front of the line just checked boarding passes again for precheck and sent us through the regular metal detector rather than the raise your arms one. Again, the only “normal” rule I had to follow was laptop removal.

I respectfully disagree - no where in the tsa pre info does it say you don't have to follow the 3-1-1 rule just that you don't have to remove the bag from your carryon. I stand by my original statement!

https://www.tsa.gov/precheck

 

[sarahk0204]

Hi everyone! We have an upcoming reservation for 5 - 3 adults, 16 yo and 13 yo. All flights were booked on individual reservations (long story). The 3 adults have TSA Precheck. Will my minor children be allowed in the precheck lines with the adults? Will they likely end up with precheck anyway?

Appreciate any advice. I’m not opposed to signing up my minors but the hours of our center conflict with school.

We signed up our 13 YO's during their spring break, as our center's hours weren't convenient either. We had to get them state ID's first, which DH was able to do on a Saturday. The hardest part of that (getting the state ID's) was 2 pieces of mail addressed to the child. Luckily, my kids have savings accounts (and we still do paper statements), and school report cards are mailed. The TSA precheck appointment was actually easier.

 

[Shanti]

Children 13 & up need their own Pre-Check. A passport will suffice for identification to get Pre-Check.