Notifying the TSA when someone dies
Family member is responsible for notifying the TSA
OverviewWhen someone dies
TSA Contact Center
Phone1-866-289-9673
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursAutomated information available 24 hours a day in several languages. Live representatives available 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET weekdays; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET weekends and holidays
TSA PreCheck Inquiry Form
Phone1-866-289-9673
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursOnline form available 24 hours a day; phone representatives 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET weekdays
TSA Contact Center (PreCheck account closure)
Phone1-866-289-9673
Timeline
No published service-level commitment. Account closure requests are handled by the TSA Contact Center and the enrollment provider; processing time varies. The membership and KTN automatically stop working on the printed expiration date in any case.
WebsiteLearn more →
HoursAutomated information available 24 hours a day. Live representatives 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET weekdays; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET weekends and holidays
Verified Jul 2026
When someone dies, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must be notified. The family member is responsible for notifying the TSA.
Notification deadline: No statutory deadline. TSA PreCheck memberships expire on the date printed in the member's account and the Known Traveler Number stops working at expiration regardless of any survivor action..
Steps to take
Steps for notifying the TSA and applying for survivor benefits:
1
Locate the deceased's TSA PreCheck account details:
- •Find the Known Traveler Number (KTN), which is 9 or 10 characters and starts with TT, TE, or AC
- •If the KTN is unknown, use the KTN lookup tool on tsa.gov to retrieve it with the member's name and date of birth
- •Identify which enrollment provider was used: IDEMIA (tsaenrollmentbyidemia.tsa.dhs.gov), Telos (tsaprecheckbytelos.tsa.dhs.gov), or CLEAR (tsaprecheckbyclear.tsa.dhs.gov)
2
Request account closure with TSA:
- •Call the TSA Contact Center at 1-866-289-9673 (representatives available 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET weekdays; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET weekends and holidays)
- •Or submit the TSA PreCheck contact form at tsa.gov/contact-center/form/precheck
- •Provide the deceased's full legal name, date of birth, Known Traveler Number, and date of death; offer to provide a copy of the death certificate if requested
- •Ask that the KTN be marked as deceased / closed so it cannot be used on future airline reservations
3
Notify the enrollment provider used at sign-up or last renewal:
- •IDEMIA: use the contact options at tsaenrollmentbyidemia.tsa.dhs.gov
- •Telos: use the contact options at tsaprecheckbytelos.tsa.dhs.gov
- •CLEAR: use the member-services contact options at tsaprecheckbyclear.tsa.dhs.gov
4
If the deceased held a Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI membership in addition to (or instead of) TSA PreCheck, those programs are run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, not TSA. Contact CBP at 1-877-227-5511 or use the Trusted Traveler Program website (ttp.dhs.gov) for those closures.
5
Inquire about a refund only if the membership was paid for very recently and never used. TSA's published policy is that no refunds are issued once in-person enrollment is complete and payment has been taken; any exception for a deceased member would be discretionary.
Required Documents
- Deceased's full legal name, date of birth, and Known Traveler Number (KTN)
- Death certificate (copy may be requested by phone or attached to the PreCheck contact form)
- Your relationship to the deceased and contact information for follow-up
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration if requesting any refund consideration as the estate's representative
Timeline
No published service-level commitment. Account closure requests are handled by the TSA Contact Center and the enrollment provider; processing time varies. The membership and KTN automatically stop working on the printed expiration date in any case.
Survivor benefits
TSA PreCheck Membership Closure
Survivors can request that a deceased member's TSA PreCheck enrollment and Known Traveler Number be marked closed. TSA does not publish a refund policy specific to death. The published general rule is that once the in-person enrollment or renewal is complete and payment has been taken, no refunds are issued. Any refund consideration for a deceased member would be at TSA's discretion and should be raised by phone or via the PreCheck contact form.
Eligibility: Surviving spouse, family member, executor, or personal representative of the estate
How to apply: Call the TSA Contact Center at 1-866-289-9673, submit the PreCheck contact form at tsa.gov/contact-center/form/precheck, or contact the enrollment provider (IDEMIA, Telos, or CLEAR) used at original enrollment or renewal
Learn more →Military Survivor Families TSA PreCheck
Surviving family members of U.S. armed forces service members who died on active duty (or died from a service-connected injury or illness after separation) are eligible for TSA PreCheck under the Military Survivor Families program. Eligibility is verified through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) or a TSA acknowledgment form. This is a separate eligibility path, not a benefit transferred from the deceased.
Eligibility: Families eligible for the Gold Star Lapel Button (10 U.S.C. § 1126) or the Next of Kin Lapel Button, and certain other military survivor families verified by TAPS
How to apply: Contact the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline at 1-800-959-8277 to obtain the verification letter, then enroll in TSA PreCheck through any enrollment provider
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
The Known Traveler Number (KTN) remains in TSA's system until the membership's scheduled expiration date, but the deceased can no longer use it. Survivors can call the TSA Contact Center at 1-866-289-9673 or submit the PreCheck contact form at tsa.gov/contact-center/form/precheck to request that the account be closed and the KTN deactivated. TSA PreCheck memberships last five years.
TSA's published policy is that once the in-person enrollment or renewal is complete and payment has been taken, no refunds are issued. TSA does not publish a refund exception for deceased members. Any refund consideration is at TSA's discretion and would need to be raised directly with the TSA Contact Center or the enrollment provider used at sign-up.
Call the TSA Contact Center at 1-866-289-9673 or submit the PreCheck contact form at tsa.gov/contact-center/form/precheck. Provide the deceased's full legal name, date of birth, Known Traveler Number, and date of death. You can also contact the enrollment provider used at original sign-up or last renewal: IDEMIA, Telos, or CLEAR.
TSA contracts with three enrollment providers: IDEMIA (tsaenrollmentbyidemia.tsa.dhs.gov), Telos (tsaprecheckbytelos.tsa.dhs.gov), and CLEAR (tsaprecheckbyclear.tsa.dhs.gov). If you do not know which provider was used, the TSA Contact Center can look it up using the member's Known Traveler Number, name, and date of birth.
TSA PreCheck is administered by TSA and covers expedited domestic airport screening. Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI are administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and cover international entry and trusted-traveler border crossings. For CBP programs, contact CBP at 1-877-227-5511 or visit the Trusted Traveler Programs website at ttp.dhs.gov.
TSA PreCheck memberships last five years from the date of enrollment or renewal. The membership and Known Traveler Number automatically stop working on the expiration date printed in the member's account, whether or not survivors close the account.
A Known Traveler Number is the 9 or 10-character identifier (starting with TT, TE, or AC) assigned to a TSA PreCheck member. It must be entered on each airline reservation to receive the TSA PreCheck indicator on the boarding pass. After death, survivors should request that the KTN be marked closed so it cannot be reused on future reservations.
Yes. Surviving family members of U.S. armed forces service members who died on active duty (or died from a service-connected injury or illness after separation) are eligible for TSA PreCheck under the Military Survivor Families program. Eligibility is verified through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), reachable 24/7 at 1-800-959-8277. This is a separate eligibility path, not a transfer of the deceased's membership.
A death certificate is not required to submit the request, but TSA may ask for a copy to verify the death before closing the account. Be prepared to provide one. The PreCheck contact form at tsa.gov/contact-center/form/precheck accepts file attachments.
After completing the notification process, eligible survivors can apply for 2 benefits through the TSA. Each benefit has its own eligibility requirements and application process.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the TSA. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
TSA Contact Center
Phone1-866-289-9673
WebsiteVisit website→
HoursAutomated information available 24 hours a day in several languages. Live representatives available 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET weekdays; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET weekends and holidays
TSA PreCheck Inquiry Form
Phone1-866-289-9673
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursOnline form available 24 hours a day; phone representatives 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET weekdays
TSA Contact Center (PreCheck account closure)
Phone1-866-289-9673
Timeline
No published service-level commitment. Account closure requests are handled by the TSA Contact Center and the enrollment provider; processing time varies. The membership and KTN automatically stop working on the printed expiration date in any case.
WebsiteLearn more →
HoursAutomated information available 24 hours a day. Live representatives 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET weekdays; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET weekends and holidays
Verified Jul 2026