[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1799-1801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00724]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
[Docket No. TSA-2014-001]
Intent To Request Revision From OMB of One Current Public
Collection of Information: TSA PreCheck[supreg] Application Program
AGENCY: Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
ACTION: 60-Day notice.
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SUMMARY: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites
public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request
(ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0059,
abstracted below that we will submit to OMB for a revision in
compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes
the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The
collection involves the voluntary submission of biographic and
biometric information that TSA uses to verify identity and conduct a
security threat assessment (STA) for the TSA PreCheck[supreg]
Application Program.
DATES: Send your comments by March 16, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed to [email protected] or delivered
to the TSA PRA Officer, Information Technology, TSA-11, Transportation
Security Administration, 6595 Springfield Drive, Springfield, VA 20598-
6011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina A. Walsh at the above
address, or by telephone (571) 227-2062.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is
not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it
displays a valid OMB control number. The ICR documentation will be
available at https://www.reginfo.gov upon its submission to OMB.
Therefore, in preparation for OMB review and approval of the following
information collection, TSA is soliciting comments to--
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed information requirement is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden;
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(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including using appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
Information Collection Requirement
Pursuant to the statutory authorities explained below, TSA has
implemented a voluntary enrollment program for individuals to apply for
the TSA PreCheck Application Program. Section 109(a)(3) of the Aviation
and Transportation Security Act, Public Law 107-71 (115 Stat. 597, 613,
Nov. 19, 2001, codified at 49 U.S.C. 114 note) provides TSA with the
authority to ``establish requirements to implement trusted programs and
use available technologies to expedite security screening of passengers
who participate in such programs, thereby allowing security screening
personnel to focus on those passengers who should be subject to more
extensive screening.'' In addition, TSA has express, statutory
authority to establish and collect a fee for any registered traveler
program by publication of a notice in the Federal Register, as outlined
in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2006, Public
Law 109-90 (119 Stat. 2064, 2088-89, Oct. 18, 2005).
Under the TSA PreCheck Application Program, individuals may submit
biographic and biometric \1\ information directly to TSA. Interested
applicants must provide certain minimum required data elements,
including, but not limited to, name, date of birth, sex, address,
contact information, country of birth, images of identity documents,
proof of citizenship or immigration status, and biometrics via a secure
interface.
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\1\ Unless otherwise specified, or the purposes of this
document, ``biometrics'' refers to fingerprints and/or facial
imagery.
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TSA uses this information to verify identity at enrollment, conduct
an STA, make a final eligibility determination for the TSA PreCheck
Application Program (including a review of criminal, immigration,
intelligence, and regulatory violation databases), and verify the
identities of TSA PreCheck-enrolled and approved individuals when they
are traveling. For example, as part of this process, TSA sends the
applicants' fingerprints and associated information to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the purpose of comparing their
fingerprints to other fingerprints in the FBI's Next Generation
Identification (NGI) system or its successor systems including civil,
criminal, and latent fingerprint repositories. The FBI may retain
applicants' fingerprints and associated information in NGI after the
completion of their application and, while retained, their fingerprints
may continue to be compared against other fingerprints submitted to or
retained by NGI as part of the FBI's Rap Back program.\2\ In retaining
applicants' fingerprints, the FBI conducts recurrent vetting of
applicants' criminal history until the expiration date of the
applicant's STA. TSA also transmits applicants' biometrics for
enrollment into the Department of Homeland Security Automated
Biometrics Identification System (IDENT) \3\ and its successor system,
the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology System (HART),\4\ for
recurrent vetting of applicants' criminal history, lawful presence, and
ties to terrorism and for future support of TSA's biometric-based
identification at airport checkpoints.
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\2\ The FBI's Rap Back service allows authorized agencies to
receive on-going status notifications of any criminal history
reported to the FBI after the initial processing and retention of
criminal or civil transactions using fingerprint identification.
\3\ See U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of
Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), Privacy Impact Assessment for
Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT), DHS/OBIM//PIA-001
(2012), available at DHS/OBIM/PIA-001 Automated Biometric
Identification System [verbar] Homeland Security.
\4\ See U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of
Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), Privacy Impact Assessment for
Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology System, DHS/OBIM//PIA-004
(2024), available at DHS/OBIM/PIA-004 Homeland Advanced Recognition
Technology System (HART) Increment 1 [verbar] Homeland Security.
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TSA uses the STA results to decide if an individual poses a low
risk to transportation or national security. TSA issues approved
applicants a known traveler number (KTN) that they may use when making
travel reservations. Airline passengers who submit a KTN when making
airline reservations are eligible for expedited screening on flights
originating from U.S. airports and select international locations
including Nassau, Bahamas.\5\ TSA uses the traveler's KTN and other
information during passenger prescreening to verify that the individual
traveling matches the information on TSA's list of known travelers and
to confirm TSA PreCheck expedited screening eligibility.
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\5\ Passengers who are eligible for expedited screening
typically will receive less stringent physical screening; e.g.,
removal of shoes, light outerwear, and a belt may not be required;
laptop may remain in its case; and the ``3-1-1'' compliant liquids/
gels bag may stay in their carry-on.
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When the STA is complete, TSA makes a final determination on
eligibility for the TSA PreCheck Application Program and notifies
applicants of its decision. Most applicants generally should expect to
receive notification from TSA within 3 to 5 days and up to 60 days of
the submission of their completed applications. If initially deemed
ineligible by TSA, applicants will have an opportunity to correct cases
of misidentification or inaccurate criminal records. Applicants must
submit a correction of any information they believe to be inaccurate
within 60 days of issuance of TSA's letter. If a corrected record is
not received by TSA within the specified amount of time, the agency may
make a final determination to deny eligibility. Individuals who TSA
determines are ineligible for the TSA PreCheck Application Program will
undergo standard or other screening at airport security checkpoints.
In 2025, TSA established a partnership with U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) to reduce the risk profile of passengers who are
members of CBP's Global Entry (GE) Trusted Traveler Program, expedite
GE enrollment processing for existing TSA PreCheck members, and enhance
the customer experience. This initiative is only available to members
of TSA PreCheck who opt-in to CBP's expedited vetting.
For purposes of the partnership with CBP, once the fingerprints
associated with each TSA PreCheck applicant opting-in to GE have been
thoroughly vetted through the FBI NGI database during TSA PreCheck
Application Program enrollment, TSA will authorize DHS IDENT/HART to
share specified biographic and biometric data issued to TSA PreCheck
applicants during the enrollment process (fingerprints, the Fingerprint
Identification Number, and the Encounter Identification Number), with
CBP for reuse during the CBP GE vetting process.
Collection Revisions: Enhancing Customer Experience for Vetted
Populations
TSA is revising the collection to include the MyTSA PreCheck
Identity (ID), which facilitates delivery of TSA PreCheck benefits to
recipients; the development of the Customer Service Portal to enhance
customer experience and data management; and the revision of post
enrollment surveys to reduce customer burden to better serve the needs
of the public.
DHS Trusted Traveler populations are vetted, low-risk travelers who
have voluntarily opted-in to receive
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expedited screening after undergoing a background check or STA. The
MyTSA PreCheck ID is a mobile ID that provides eligible DHS Trusted
Traveler members with TSA PreCheck benefits, including a way to verify
their identity at security checkpoints and receive expedited screening;
the ability to opt-in to TSA PreCheck Touchless ID; \6\ and potential
future benefits, such as the ability to use the MyTSA PreCheck ID as a
visitor pass to allow access to the sterile area. To participate in
MyTSA PreCheck ID, eligible DHS Trusted Travelers voluntarily submit
certain biographic and biometric information to confirm their TSA
PreCheck status, verify their identity and facilitate provisioning of
the ID to their mobile device.
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\6\ TSA is using facial identification to verify a passenger's
identity at its security checkpoints using the CBP Traveler
Verification Service, which creates a secure biometric template of a
passenger's live facial image taken at the checkpoint and matches it
against a gallery of templates of pre-staged photos that the
passenger previously provided to the government (e.g., U.S. Passport
or Visa). Participation is optional. Passengers who have consented
to participate may choose to opt-out at any time and instead go
through the standard identity verification process by a
Transportation Security Officer.
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The TSA Customer Service Portal is a user-friendly, centralized
platform for individuals in various TSA vetted population programs to
securely view and manage their profile information from these programs,
including TSA PreCheck. Members can view their current program status,
upload updated documents, and receive status updates and correspondence
from TSA. Active TSA program members must have a login.gov account
(which requires an email and password) to access and use the Customer
Service Portal. TSA PreCheck Application Program members using the
Customer Service Portal can view their TSA PreCheck membership
information to include the KTN, the specified enrollment provider, and
the renewal date as well as opt-in or out of specific program
incentives such as TSA PreCheck Touchless ID. The ability to view and
manage membership information will greatly enhance the customer
experience while providing TSA with up-to-date member data and
streamlined processes to manage the data. In the future, other TSA
PreCheck benefit holders, to include CBP's Global Entry, will have the
ability to view their applicable TSA PreCheck information and opt-in or
out of TSA PreCheck Touchless ID.
The TSA PreCheck Application Program enhances aviation security by
permitting TSA to better focus its limited security resources on
passengers who are unknown to TSA and whose level of risk is
undetermined, while also facilitating and improving the commercial
aviation travel experience for the public. Travelers who choose not to
enroll in this initiative are not subject to any limitations on their
travel because of their choice; they will be processed through normal
TSA screening before entering the sterile areas of airports. TSA also
retains the authority to perform standard or other screening on a
random basis on TSA PreCheck Application Program participants and any
other travelers authorized to receive expedited physical screening.
TSA estimates that there will be an average of 8,384,125
respondents over a 3-year period, for a total of 25,152,376
respondents. This estimate of respondents is based on current and
projected enrollments with TSA's PreCheck Application Program. TSA
estimates that there will be an average annual hour burden of 4,684,077
hours over a 3-year projection, for a total of 14,052,232 hours. This
burden includes the new enrollment process for the mobile MyTSA
PreCheck ID. There is no burden associated with the TSA Customer
Service Portal.
The applicant fee per respondent for those who apply for the TSA
PreCheck Application Program directly with TSA will average $80 for
initial enrollments, $70 for online renewals, and $75 for in-person
renewals, which covers TSA's program costs, TSA's enrollment vendor's
costs, and the FBI fee for the criminal history records check.
Dated: January 13, 2026.
Christina A. Walsh,
Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Information Technology, Transportation
Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-00724 Filed 1-14-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-05-P