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Known Traveler Number: read it, find it, make it work
Type your number: the decoder tells you which program its format points to and how to use it. Nothing is sent.
What kind of Known Traveler Number is this?
Format
TSA PreCheck number from IDEMIA
Starts with TT and has 9 characters: the format TSA gives for members enrolled through IDEMIA. It stays the same after a renewal. Global Entry cannot be renewed with it.
A Known Traveler Number, or KTN, is what turns a membership into the PreCheck indicator on a boarding pass. Its format depends on where it comes from. A TSA PreCheck membership gives a KTN of 9 or 10 characters starting with TT, TE or AC, the prefix of the provider you enrolled with: IDEMIA, Telos or CLEAR. Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI give a nine-digit PASS ID, which usually begins with 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 50, 70, 80, 95, 98, 99, printed in the upper left corner of the back of the card. Service members and DoD civilians use their DoD ID number. Holders of employment-based benefits get a number whose format varies by employer. In every case, the benefit is not automatic: TSA asks you to put the number in the KTN field of every airline reservation and to make sure the name, middle name included if you used one, and the date of birth match your enrollment. Showing a card or an approval email at the checkpoint does not open the lane. The decoder above reads the format of your number.
Denied, revoked or stuck in screening: where to go
Route
Request reconsideration in your TTP account
| What to send: CBP sends the reason in writing. The request goes to the CBP Ombudsman, in English, with the denial date and reason, a summary and court documents in PDF for any arrest, even expunged. |
Free official routes only; no paid service can speed up a CBP or TSA review.
Fees and rules read on tsa.gov and cbp.gov by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Number formats by program
| Source | Format | Length | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSA PreCheck (IDEMIA) | TT + digits | 9 or 10 characters | provider account, KTN lookup tool |
| TSA PreCheck (Telos) | TE + digits | 9 or 10 characters | provider account, KTN lookup tool |
| TSA PreCheck (CLEAR) | AC + digits | 9 or 10 characters | provider account, KTN lookup tool |
| Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI | PASS ID, usually from 10 to 99 | 9 digits | back of the card, ttp.dhs.gov |
| Armed forces, DoD civilians | DoD ID number | as printed | common access card |
| Employment-based (HME, TWIC and others) | varies | no set format | employer or issuing program |
The PreCheck KTN keeps the same number across renewals and even if you renew with another provider. A PASS ID also stays the same when you renew Global Entry. If you hold both a PreCheck KTN and a Global Entry PASS ID, use the one whose membership expires later; they are not combined.
Entering it correctly
- Use the Known Traveler Number field, not the Redress number field, which is for DHS TRIP inquiries.
- Add it to bookings already made, then to frequent flyer profiles and employer or travel agency profiles so future bookings carry it.
- Match the name you enrolled with, including a middle name or initial if you used one, and check the date of birth.
- For a teenager flying with you, leave their KTN field empty if they have no membership; the kids page explains the rule.
When it still does not work
Most failures are in the reservation: a missing middle name, a typo in the number, or an airline profile that did not copy the KTN to a booking. If everything matches, the issue may be on TSA's side, from a suspension during a records review to a screening problem that needs DHS TRIP. Pick your case below.
Denied, revoked or stuck in screening: where to go
Route
Request reconsideration in your TTP account
| What to send: CBP sends the reason in writing. The request goes to the CBP Ombudsman, in English, with the denial date and reason, a summary and court documents in PDF for any arrest, even expunged. |
Free official routes only; no paid service can speed up a CBP or TSA review.
TSA's FAQ says it uses unpredictable security measures and that no one is assured of expedited screening, so a missing indicator once is not necessarily a fault. Repeated misses are worth a message to AskTSA.
Military and family numbers
Service members, including the Coast Guard, the Reserve and the National Guard, enter their DoD ID number; DoD civilians must opt in first. Spouses and adult dependents need their own membership. The military page covers each case.
Holding two numbers
If you have both a TSA PreCheck KTN and a Global Entry PASS ID, either works for PreCheck. Use the PASS ID if you travel abroad, so you have one number to keep current, and let the PreCheck membership expire without renewing. Write the expiration dates down: the PreCheck renewal and Global Entry renewal pages make calendar files.
A number entered once in a frequent flyer profile is the simplest safeguard, since every new booking then carries it automatically.