Residents of Northern Virginia will be able to enroll in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) popular TSA PreCheck® program at any of four temporary pop-up application centers at AAA offices during select weeks in August.
TSA PreCheck is a valuable travel option that expedites a traveler’s airport security checkpoint screening process and allows passengers to leave on their shoes, light outerwear and belt, keep their laptop in its case and their 3-1-1 compliant liquids/gels bag in a carry-on, in select TSA airport checkpoint screening lanes. More than 200 airports participate in TSA PreCheck nationwide and more than 85 airlines participate in the program.
Travelers need only to make an appointment online (appointments are being taken now) and complete their enrollment in-person or as a walk-in. The pop-up centers will be open from 9 a.m. until noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 9 a.m. until noon on Fridays in a specially marked truck in the parking lots of these four AAA offices:
- Aug. 7 to 11 at the AAA office in Tyson’s Corner area of Vienna, 8300 Old Courthouse Rd, Vienna, VA 22182
- Aug. 11 to 18 at the AAA office in Seven Corners area of Falls Church, 6290 Arlington Blvd. Falls Church, VA 22044
- Aug. 21 to 25 at the AAA office in Fairfax, 9400 Main St, Fairfax, VA 22031
- Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 at the AAA office in Manassas, 7865 Sudley Rd, Manassas, VA 20109
To participate in any of these enrollment opportunities, travelers should make an appointment and pre-enroll online. It typically only takes 10 minutes to pre-enroll. After completing the pre-enrollment steps, applicants type in their preferred location of Vienna, Falls Church, Fairfax or Manassas and click on the search button to select the enrollment site that says either Pop Up: AAA VIENNA, Pop Up: AAA FALLS CHURCH, Pop Up AAA FAIRFAX or Pop Up AAA MANASSAS. Applicants can select an appointment time using the drop down menu to choose a date and time. The drop-down menu will show the first available time available, but individuals can choose a different date and/or time using that drop-down menu.
Applicants must bring documentation proving identity and citizenship status. Visit the Universal Enroll website for a list of required documents to prove identity and citizenship.
The application fee is $78 and is good for five years. It must be paid at the time of your appointment by credit card, money order, company check, or certified/cashier’s check. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. Fingerprints and a photograph also are required during the in-person enrollment session.
After completing enrollment, successful applicants will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN) via U.S. mail within about 10 days that is valid for five years. Many individuals are approved several days after completing the in-person appointment, so you are encouraged to check your status online.
The enrollee should enter the provided KTN in the “Known Traveler Number” field when booking airline reservations. The KTN can be added when booking reservations online on a participating airline website, via a call to the airline reservation center, or with the travel management company making reservations. Additionally, the KTN can be entered in participating airline frequent flyer profiles, where it will be stored for future reservations.
When submitting an application to enroll in TSA PreCheck, it is important to make sure that the web site where you start the enrollment process ends with .gov. No payment is necessary until your in-person appointment. If you are asked to pay in advance of
your appointment, you should start over at TSA.gov to ensure you are making your appointment via a government web site.
To learn more about TSA PreCheck visit the TSA PreCheck page or the TSA PreCheck® Frequently Asked Questions page. For more information on the Department of Homeland Security’s four Trusted Traveler programs – including Global Entry and NEXUS– all of which provide TSA PreCheck eligibility, visit DHS.gov.