Traveling through the airport may now be a little easier for veterans, service members, and military families. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has expanded its military travel initiative, providing dedicated military screening lanes at participating airports and additional front-of-the-line screening opportunities for eligible members of the military and veteran community.

What You Need to Know

• At participating airports, travelers may find dedicated military screening lanes designed to help eligible passengers move through the security process more efficiently. While Newark (EWR), LaGuardia (LGA), and John F. Kennedy (JFK) airports are not currently on the list, you should double-check the TSA website before traveling, as the participating-airport list can change as the program expands.
• The program is available to veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and accompanying family members.
• Even at airports that do not currently have a dedicated military lane, eligible travelers may be able to identify themselves to the TSA officer or lane monitor and receive front-of-the-line service.
• You do not need to travel in uniform to use the program, but veterans should be prepared to show documentation verifying their status. This can be done with the VA Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC), the DoD Uniformed Services Identification Card (USID), a State-issued driver’s license or identification card with a veteran designation, or the VA Veteran ID Card (VIC), among other qualifying documentation establishing military or veteran status. Some veteran documents establish veteran status but are not themselves acceptable identification for TSA security screening: in those situations, travelers should also carry an acceptable form of identification, such as a REAL ID driver’s license or a passport.

Is This the Same as TSA PreCheck?

No. The military-lane initiative is separate from TSA PreCheck; however, eligible active-duty, National Guard, Reserve, and certain other DoD-affiliated travelers may also qualify for TSA PreCheck benefits through the Department of Defense. The new military-lane and priority-screening initiative gives veterans another potential benefit when traveling, even if they do not have TSA PreCheck.

For the full list of participating airports and acceptable identification documents, visit this TSA webpage.