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3mo ago

TSA Repeals 2006 Shoes-Off Rule as Advanced Scanners Take Over

Officials say the change will streamline security lines with CT imaging, preserving high security through occasional footwear inspections.

FILE – In this Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007, file photo, a belt and shoes sit in a trays with advertising that is being used in the safety screening of travelers done by the Transportation Security Administration, at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ann Johansson, File)
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People put their shoes back on as they make their way through the TSA checkpoint at Midway International Airport in Chicago on June 25, 2025. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
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Overview

  • The nationwide repeal of the shoes-off mandate took effect in mid-July under updated layered screening protocols.
  • A $1.3 billion rollout of advanced CT scanners since 2023 is expected to cut checkpoint wait times by up to 50%.
  • Roughly 20 million TSA PreCheck subscribers have kept their shoes on after background vetting, and the new policy extends that convenience to all travelers.
  • TSA agents retain discretion to conduct random footwear inspections as part of a multi-layered security approach.
  • The Department of Homeland Security plans demonstrations of floor-embedded shoe scanners in fiscal 2026 and testing in fiscal 2027.