What a Known Traveler Number Means for Travelers

A Known Traveler Number, commonly called a KTN, identifies someone approved for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, Nexus, SENTRI or another federal Trusted Traveler Program. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issues the code rather than an airline. It confirms that a traveler has completed the required application and screening and may use TSA PreCheck lanes at U.S. airports, where security waits are typically shorter. Global Entry also speeds passport control following an international flight and includes TSA PreCheck access.

First-time applicants generally interview in person at an enrollment center, many of which are located at airports. Approval after a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry interview brings a KTN. Membership in either program lasts five years, after which renewal and another application payment are required. Some credit cards cover that charge. For travelers expecting several international trips during those five years, Global Entry combines expedited entry to the U.S. with TSA PreCheck benefits.

The number must be connected to a reservation before the TSA PreCheck designation can appear on a boarding pass. It can be entered during booking, added under traveler or secure traveler information afterward, or saved in a frequent flyer profile for future reservations with that airline. After check-in, a refreshed mobile boarding pass—or one printed at a kiosk—may display the updated designation.

Travelers can retrieve a KTN by signing into the DHS page with the personal details used for their application. The Membership Number or PASSID shown there serves as the KTN. A physical Global Entry card carries the nine-digit PASSID on its back, and an airline frequent flyer account may already have the number stored.