Veterans, service members and their families can now receive expedited security screening at more than 30 U.S. airports through Transportation Security Administration military lanes.
The program provides dedicated screening lanes at some airports and front-of-the-line service at others.
Travelers do not have to be in uniform to use the military lanes. They must show proof of military or veteran status and present identification that meets TSA's identity verification requirements.
Some military and veteran identification cards satisfy both requirements, while other documents establish veteran status but cannot be used on their own as an acceptable form of identification.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | New TSA program brings back gate access for eligible individuals without tickets
Documents that can establish veteran status and serve as an acceptable form of identification include a Veteran Health Identification Card, a Department of Defense Uniformed Services Identification Card and a state-issued veteran driver's license or state identification card.
Other documents, including a VA Veteran Identification Card, VA Proof of Service Letter and state or county veteran identification cards, establish veteran status but must be accompanied by another form of identification accepted by TSA.
At airports with dedicated military lanes, eligible travelers can show their qualifying military or veteran identification to enter the lane. At airports without a dedicated lane, travelers can show their identification to the lane monitor for front-of-the-line service.
The TSA military lane program is available at the following airports:
- Albany International Airport in New York
- Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas
- Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama
- Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Arkansas
- Boise Airport in Idaho
- Casper-Natrona County International Airport in Wyoming
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii
- Denver International Airport in Colorado
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan
- El Paso International Airport in Texas
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida
- Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia
- Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in Mississippi
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio
- Los Angeles International Airport in California
- Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico
- Miami International Airport in Florida
- Nashville International Airport in Tennessee
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina
- San Antonio International Airport in Texas
- San Diego International Airport in California
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington
- Sioux Falls Regional Airport in South Dakota
- Southwest Florida International Airport in Florida
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri
- Tampa International Airport in Florida
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska
- Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma
Veterans and other travelers who need additional assistance during the screening process can contact TSA Cares at least 72 hours before their flight.
The TSA says the military lane program is part of its effort to honor service members, veterans and their families by providing special security screening privileges to the military community.
This story was originally published by Craig McKee with the Scripps News Group in Phoenix.
