New TSA program lets some people go through security without a ticket

For more than two decades, airport security checkpoints have served as the absolute boundary line for anyone without a boarding pass. Friends and relatives seeing off departing passengers have had to say their goodbyes well before the gate, a security shift that solidified across the United States in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks. That strict barrier is now lifting for a specific group of travelers under a new federal initiative.

Gateside by TSA PreCheck Brings Gate Access Back to Selected Airports

The Transportation Security Administration has introduced a program titled Gateside by TSA PreCheck, which permits trusted travelers who do not hold plane tickets to clear security and enter terminal gate areas. According to the agency, the rollout is designed to bring back elements of air travel that largely vanished nearly 25 years ago.

The program is initially active at 13 airports nationwide. The initial footprint includes Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City International Airport. Federal officials report that expansion to additional airports is planned for the coming months.

Application Rules, Fees, and Access Requirements

While the new gate access pass itself is free, participants must complete an advance digital screening process. Applicants are required to apply online one to three days prior to their intended visit and secure official approval before heading to the terminal. Travelers who already hold TSA PreCheck membership are eligible, along with members of other trusted-traveler programs who possess a Known Traveler Number.

Once approved, visitors access the terminal by presenting an acceptable form of identification through a designated TSA PreCheck lane. The resulting pass remains valid for a single calendar day, though multi-entry privileges are permitted throughout that same day. Travelers cannot simply approach a checkpoint spontaneously; passholders must complete the application window between one and three days before their planned visit.

Precedents and Evolution Across U.S. Terminals

While the federal Gateside rollout represents a broad coordinated effort, several individual airports have experimented with similar concepts over the past decade. Pittsburgh International Airport introduced its myPITpass program in 2017, though that offering was temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent terminal construction work. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport launched a comparable initiative a year later, capping non-ticketed gate visitors at 300 individuals daily. Additional facilities, including Philadelphia International Airport and Kansas City International Airport, have operated varying regional iterations of un-ticketed gate access.

Airport representatives highlighted that LAS served as the first airport to pilot TSA PreCheck in 2011 and houses the agency’s Innovation Checkpoint for evaluating security technologies prior to nationwide deployment.