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Do Children Need To Apply For TSA Precheck® - Complete Adult Guidebook
Travelling with children can be stressful since the little ones won’t stay still and sometimes refuse to listen. So, if you’re at the airport preparing to get on board, good luck getting your children through the security checks and screening processes.
That being said, a TSA PreCheck® membership can save parents and guardians from all that stress and inconvenience. Enjoy the expedited screening, so you can quickly get on that plane in just a few minutes. But do children need to apply for TSA PreCheck®? The following post will answer all your questions.

Do Children Need To Apply For TSA Precheck®?
It depends on their age and the accompanying guardians’ member status. Photo by Tomsickova - stock.adobe.com
Children can enjoy an expedited screening when travelling with parents or guardians with a TSA PreCheck® membership. If they travel alone, they need to get a membership for themselves.
To be more specific, according to the US Customs and Border Protection, there are specific rules and regulations on boarding with TSA PreCheck® for children:
- If the children are under 12, they can join their parents in the TSA PreCheck® lanes. Ensure the parents have the TSA PreCheck® indicator on their boarding pass. You can do this by adding your KTNs to the ticket reservations or contacting the airline directly.
- Teenagers between 13 and 17 can also enjoy TSA PreCheck® benefits if they travel with parents with active membership. However, it’s not a 100% guarantee. Their tickets may or may not have the TSA PreCheck® indicator appear.
- And finally, children under the age of 17 and are travelling alone must apply for their own TSA PreCheck® membership. This applies to whether they travel with a member or not.
Children with TSA PreCheck® boarding passes are exempted from screening processes. But there are always chances that airport security will randomly select one of them for random checkups, where they must go through the standard procedures.
What is TSA PreCheck®?

The TSA PreCheck® is a Trusted Traveller program created to help travellers go through the airport screening process faster. Eligible members can use this perk whenever they book a flight that departs from any US airport. It’ll work great for people who travel a lot and would like to save much of their time from standing in the boarding lines or performing regular security checkups.
To apply for TSA PreCheck, you’ll have to meet certain criteria and submit your application along with the required papers and fees. After successfully enrolling in the program, you’ll receive your Known Traveller Number (KTN), which can be used to add your TSA PreCheck® membership to existing or future bookings.
Should You Apply For TSA Precheck®?
Let’s look at the benefits and potential drawbacks of applying for a TSA PreCheck® membership for both children and adults. This will allow you to make better decisions regarding the matter.

Should everyone apply for TSA Precheck to skip the lines? Photo by Phil Mosley on Unsplash
As Minors
For kids under 12, there is no reason to apply for TSA PreCheck® if they only travel with their parents or guardians who already own an active membership.
Teenagers (13-17 years old) may or may not join the lanes even if accompanied by a member, depending on whether their tickets have the TSA PreCheck® icon. Therefore, they should apply for the programme to enjoy the perks 100% of the time.
Joining the expedited boarding line means skipping the potential pat-down screening, which can be a problem for kids. And although the TSA has modified this procedure for children of 12 and under, it’s best to avoid having it.
Be mindful that the enrollment process for children can be a little more complicated since they often need help w