TSA PreCheck eligibility comes down to three things. Your citizenship or immigration status, a clean enough criminal record, and a background check that turns up nothing that worries the agency. Eligibility rules sit alongside the rest of the screening process covered on our airport security hub.
A short list of criminal offenses can disqualify you. Some are permanent, and others fall away after a set number of years. A lot of applicants find out the hard way which list their record falls into.
This page covers who qualifies, exactly which offenses knock you out, and how a DUI actually gets treated. It also covers what your options are if TSA turns you down. If you have not started the application yet, the process itself lives on our guide to how to get TSA PreCheck, and non citizens should read our page on TSA PreCheck for families and non US travelers.
Who is eligible for TSA PreCheck
The first test in TSA PreCheck eligibility is citizenship. You need to be a US citizen, a US national, or a lawful permanent resident. There is no separate visa category, and there is no work permit that qualifies on its own.
That surprises plenty of long term US residents who assume years of residency is enough.
Citizenship alone does not guarantee approval. TSA still runs a background check against the disqualifying offenses list below. It also runs a general security threat assessment before it issues a Known Traveler Number.
There is no published minimum credit score. There is no employment check or income requirement either. The screening is about criminal history and security risk, not financial standing.
Permanent and interim disqualifying offenses
The criminal history side of TSA PreCheck eligibility splits into two tiers, and the difference matters. The full list is published on the agency’s disqualifying offenses and other factors page.
The permanent list disqualifies you no matter how long ago the conviction happened. It covers espionage, sedition, or treason. It covers federal crimes of terrorism, transportation security incidents, and improper transportation of hazardous material.
It also covers explosives offenses, murder, false threats involving explosive or lethal devices, and RICO violations built on those predicate acts. Attempts and conspiracies to commit any of these count the same as the completed offense.
The interim list is time limited. A conviction, a guilty plea, or a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity disqualifies you for 7 years from your application date. Release from incarceration for one of these offenses disqualifies you for 5 years from the release date.
The interim list includes firearm and weapons violations. It includes extortion, fraud, identity theft, money laundering, bribery, and smuggling. It also includes immigration violations, distribution of a controlled substance, arson, kidnapping, rape, and aggravated sexual abuse.
Assault with intent to kill, robbery, fraudulent entry into a seaport, RICO violations, and voluntary manslaughter round out the list. Attempts and conspiracies count here too.
Can a felon get TSA PreCheck
Yes, a felon can get TSA PreCheck if the felony is not on either disqualifying list. Enough time also has to have passed on any interim offense. A drug possession felony from 15 years ago is one example, if it never involved a distribution charge.
The felony versus misdemeanor label matters less than the specific offense. A felony that maps to an interim category still clears after 7 years from conviction, or 5 years from release. A felony that maps to a permanent category, like murder or a terrorism charge, never clears.
Community reports on enrollment forums back this up. Applicants with old, unrelated felony convictions routinely get approved. Applicants with anything resembling fraud, weapons, or violent offenses inside the lookback window get denied, even when the conviction feels minor to them in hindsight.
Can you get TSA PreCheck with a DUI
TSA’s published disqualifying offenses list does not name DUI or DWI as its own category. A standard misdemeanor DUI, on its own, generally does not appear on either the permanent or interim list.
A DUI can still cause a problem when it is charged alongside something that does appear on the list. A felony DUI involving injury, prosecuted under a more serious charge, is one example. So is a DUI that comes with a separate weapons charge or a fleeing charge.
Multiple DUIs or an aggravated DUI conviction can also factor into TSA’s broader security threat assessment, even when no single charge matches the named list.
If you have a DUI on your record and are unsure how it reads, apply and let the background check run. TSA does not publish a bright line for a DUI the way it does for the offenses above. A denial can still be appealed, which the last section covers.
Citizenship and immigration status limits
Lawful permanent residents qualify. Temporary visa holders, DACA recipients, and undocumented applicants do not, no matter how long they have lived or worked in the United States. There is no waiver for immigration status the way there sometimes is for an old conviction.
Dual citizens who hold US citizenship alongside another nationality are eligible as US citizens. The second passport does not create a problem for PreCheck the way it sometimes does for other trusted traveler programs, a distinction covered in more depth in our page on TSA PreCheck versus Global Entry versus Clear.
Families with mixed status often assume the whole household can enroll together. Each person is assessed individually. One member’s ineligible status does not block an eligible spouse or child from applying alone.
What happens after a background check flags something
TSA can also disqualify or suspend an existing PreCheck membership for conduct that happens after enrollment. This is separate from the criminal history list above. It covers assault, threats, or interference with a flight crew, plus threats of physical or sexual assault against someone on an aircraft.
It also covers interfering with a security operation, violating access controls, providing false or fraudulent documents, making a bomb threat, or bringing a firearm or explosive to an airport or onto an aircraft. Suspensions for these violations run up to 5 years for a first offense. They can be permanent for the most serious incidents, according to TSA’s own guidance on disqualification and suspension.
This is a separate track from the initial eligibility check. It is the reason a long time member can lose access years after first qualifying.
What to do if you are denied
Start by confirming the denial is actually about eligibility, not a simpler mix up. TSA’s own troubleshooting steps include checking that your Known Traveler Number has not expired. They also include confirming your airline has your correct information on file, and contacting the TSA Contact Center at 866-289-9673 or through the AskTSA social channels.
If you were disqualified over a criminal history match and you believe the record is wrong, you can pursue redress through TSA. If you received a formal notice of violation tied to a suspension, TSA directs you to contact the case agent named in that notice, not the general contact line.
- Do not reapply immediately with the same paperwork if the issue is a lookback window. Wait until the conviction or release date actually falls outside 7 or 5 years before trying again.
- If you think your identity was confused with someone else’s record, that is a records dispute, not an appeal of TSA’s judgment. It moves faster when framed that way.
- Keep your receipt and confirmation number. If TSA later reverses a denial, that paperwork speeds up getting your Known Traveler Number issued.
TSA does update its eligibility and screening rules from time to time. Our policy changes tracker is a fast way to check whether anything has shifted since you last applied.
Once you are approved, expect a real wait before the number goes active. Our page on how long TSA PreCheck takes covers typical processing time. If you already have a number but cannot find it, see our guide to finding your TSA PreCheck number.
Common questions
Can a felon get TSA PreCheck?
Yes, if the felony is not on TSA’s permanent or interim disqualifying list, or if enough time has passed on an interim offense. The specific offense matters more than the felony label.
Can you get TSA PreCheck with a DUI?
A standard DUI is not named on TSA’s disqualifying offenses list. Most single DUI convictions do not block PreCheck on their own. A DUI charged alongside a listed offense, such as one involving a weapon or serious injury, can still cause a denial.
Who is eligible for TSA PreCheck by citizenship?
US citizens, US nationals, and lawful permanent residents. Other immigration statuses, including work and student visas, do not currently qualify.
How far back does TSA look at criminal history?
Interim disqualifying offenses look back 7 years from your application date for a conviction. They look back 5 years from your release date if you were incarcerated. Permanent disqualifying offenses have no lookback window at all.
Can I appeal a TSA PreCheck denial?
TSA does not publish a single formal appeal form for every denial. It does offer redress for records disputes and case agent contact for suspension notices. Contacting the TSA Contact Center is the first step in either case.
Does a misdemeanor disqualify you from TSA PreCheck?
Only if the misdemeanor matches one of the specific interim disqualifying categories, such as certain fraud or weapons offenses, within the 7 year lookback. A misdemeanor outside those categories generally does not disqualify you.
The bottom line
TSA PreCheck eligibility is narrower than most applicants expect going in. Citizenship or lawful permanent resident status is fixed, and the criminal history rules are a specific named list, not a general good conduct standard.
Most people with an old, unrelated conviction clear the background check without issue, and most DUIs alone do not disqualify anyone. When TSA does deny an application, the fix is usually to wait out the lookback window, dispute a records error, or in some cases both, rather than assume the door is closed for good.