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2mo ago

TSA Launches Gateside by TSA PreCheck to Let Vetted Non‑Travelers Pass Security

The pilot will test whether people vetted through PreCheck can safely access gates and terminal shops before officials decide on wider rollout.

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(Representative Image) The United States Transportation Security Administration is preparing significant updates to airport security screening, including one that allows people without a plane ticket to go through airport security | Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 12: People wait in a security line at John F. Kennedy International Airport on August 12, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. A union representing 47,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers is suing the TSA over a new program introduced by the Trump administration aimed at expanding the privatization of airport security screening called TSA Gold+. The union claims that the private-public partnership for TSA Gold+, which would allow airports to hire outside contractors for airport security, was carried out without formal disclosure or the union's involvement. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
BOSTON - AUGUST 10: Passengers file past liquids and gels left at airport security that are banned in carry-on luggage at Logan International Airport August 10, 2006 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Department of Homeland Security raised the terrorism alert to Red, the highest level, for commercial flights from Britain to the United States after an alleged terrorist plot to blow up planes was disrupted by British authorities. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

Overview

  • TSA announced the centrally managed Gateside pilot on Tuesday and activated it at 13 U.S. airports to allow approved non‑ticketed visitors to pass through security and enter gate areas.
  • Eligibility is limited to travelers with an active TSA PreCheck membership or another Known Traveler Number who must apply online one to three days before their visit to request a free one‑day pass.
  • Approved passes are valid for a single calendar day with re‑entry allowed but airports can cap daily authorizations and restrict availability during peak periods to manage crowding.
  • Visitors must complete the same PreCheck screening and show live approval on the TSA portal plus an acceptable ID; failure to follow rules can lead to immediate revocation of the pass or civil penalties and those without ID may use TSA ConfirmID for a $45 verification fee.
  • The pilot builds on local visitor‑pass experiments and aims to measure effects on checkpoint queues, terminal crowding, and security before any nationwide expansion while letting families accompany travelers and boosting potential retail traffic inside terminals.