Yes, Your TSA PreCheck Will Expire - Here's How To Know When & Renew The Membership

If you're a traveler, it's happened to you. You arrive at the airport with what you think is enough time to get through security, only to arrive at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint and be faced with a seemingly endless line of people. As you wait in line, you repeatedly check the time and wonder if you'll make it to the gate in time for your flight. Most of the time you do, but on rare occasions, security delays can lead to a missed flight. One of the most frustrating things about this scenario is you have no control over whether someone tries to get a weird item past TSA or whether the agency is understaffed during the holiday rush. What you do know is that you'd prefer to skip the lines and get through TSA checkpoints more quickly.

Many who find themselves in this situation sign up for TSA PreCheck. The TSA PreCheck program allows members to skip the long lines at the airport and go through security without removing items such as shoes, laptops, and belts. With an average wait time of less than 10 minutes, it's understandable why the program has become so popular. However, all good things come to an end: After five years, your TSA PreCheck membership expires. Given all of the benefits, you want to be sure you renew your membership ahead of time to avoid any interruptions.

If you're not sure when your TSA membership expires, you can use the TSA PreCheck Known Traveler Number Lookup tool to find your KTN and its expiration date. You can also add TSA PreCheck to the American Airlines app, which is a good way to save yourself the hassle of having to search for your KTN every time you need it. If you have a valid email on record with one of the TSA's PreCheck enrollment providers, you'll receive notifications reminding you to renew your membership six months, three months, one month, and two weeks before your membership is set to expire.

TSA recommends you renew your TSA PreCheck at least 60 days before it expires to avoid any gaps in benefits. But if you want to get a head start, you can renew as early as six months before it expires. Whether you wait until the last minute or renew your membership several months in advance, your new membership won't begin until your current one expires. That way, you get the full five-year membership without losing any time. While you can sometimes fly with an expired ID, If you let your membership lapse, your KTN becomes inactive and no longer appears on your boarding pass. As a result, you can't use the expedited security lanes and have to go through the standard security screening procedures.

When you're ready to renew your TSA PreCheck membership, head over to the TSA PreCheck Renewals website. You can renew your membership through one of the TSA's three providers: Idemia, Telos, or Clear. Each provider has its own pricing structure, and all give you the option of renewing in person as well. Depending on the provider, renewing in person typically costs you more than completing the process online. 

Once you've selected your provider, enter your KTN, date of birth, legal last name, and any additional details if prompted. From there, you go through several screens where you confirm your address, update your passport details if needed, and answer a few security questions. After that, you wait for your renewal to be approved. In most cases, you receive your approval notification within three to five days after submitting your renewal. However, it could take up to 60 days.