priority screening for fed employees?
 

Forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere, but I couldn't find an answer to my question.

I am a federal employee and a coworker of mine mentioned that she has gone through priority security screening (without being first class, etc) simply by presenting her federal hspd12 PIV card (federal id badge similar to a military CAC card, and the same id badge that tsa employees have). I have never tried this and have actually had my id denied at one checkpoint. My question is, has anyone out there had experience with this or does anyone have any knowledge of this as a common procedure? The airport I fly out of typically is O`hare.

Thanks for any info!

At this point, there is no inclusion in programs like Pre check based solely on the fact that a person is a federal employee (at least not that I have seen in the regs). The ID is a valid ID for the checkpoints, and should have gotten you in with no problem (your experience with a denial notwithstanding - policy indicates it is a valid ID).

Incorrect.

It's right there on your website.
http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/active-duty-military

ETA: You may argue they aren't federal employees, but - they are.

This is like "all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares"
Yes, Active duty military can go through Pre with a valid CAC, but that is due to their active duty status, not due to them being federal employees.
So yes, military get Pre, but federal employees do not inherently get any preferential treatment (but certain federal employees do).

Priority lines are regulated differently at each airport or not regulated at all. In CLT anyone can go through the priority line because there isn't anyone patrolling it.

I've used my PIV card as identification and I've never had any problems. As for priority screening, most of the time I don't bother to ask but my last trip I was running late and I asked. I had mixed results.

I asked the lady at the initial screening, "Do air traffic controllers count as employees?" She said "yes" and I showed her my ID and she let me go. I get to the actual ID checker and before I even make it to her she starts yelling at me how it was an employee line only and then I tell her the story and then she mumbles something about, "Well, they need to make up their mind."

From the TSA website:

Acceptable IDs include:

• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS "Trusted Traveler" cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents, and DOD civilians)
• Permanent Resident Card
• Border Crossing Card
• DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
• Drivers Licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
• Native American Tribal Photo ID
• An airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
• A foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
• Non-US/Canadian citizens are not required to carry their passports if they have documents issued by the U.S. government such as Permanent Resident Cards. Those who do not should be carrying their passports while visiting the U.S.

A Federal Employee ID is not listed.

It says that acceptable IDs include those ones. It doesn't say that it's a comprehensive list.

Off the top of my head, the requirements for an acceptable ID document are photo, name, DOB, and an expiry date. And it needs to be issued by some level of gov't. According to one self-identified TSA employee who posts here occasionally, there are "several hundred" types of ID that meet TSA's requirements, so many, in fact, that it's :( unfair:( to expect the poor TDC to recognize them all. :rolleyes:

I know a federal employee, based at ORD, who claims to do this. He says he uses a special line (apparently for crew only) and shows his PIV card to the screeners.

Nice to see the TSA doesn't know the law. Again.

My comment was meant to represent an all encompassing guideline has not been put out as of this point. Members of the Military are indeed "federal employees", but they are a segment that has been given a dispensation that does not cover all "federal employees". I (for example) would recieve no preferential treatment while transitting a checkpoint, simply because I am a federal employee. Some segments have been given a dispensation, but not all.

Your coworker is either misinformed or playing you.

He's full of bovine excrement.

My brother does this at RDU routinely and includes his spouse and children. He has been accused of being full of excrement but not because of that. :p

I would love to see the priority screening lines at the Washington DC airports if this is an acceptable practice. Seems like with the number of Federal employees in the DC area, those lines would be longer than all the others.

Everybody's travel budgets are either severely reduced or eliminated because of sequestration. So, you wouldn't notice any difference right about now anyway. ...Just go out and buy a lot of stock in videoteleconferencing companies.

Someone at RDU is looking the other way. Good for your brother, but he's getting a benefit he shouldn't.

I found it strange as well but he uses his federal ID to clear security and was directed, by the TSA to use the priority lane. He was told that Federal employees are entitled to expedited screening. No one is looking the other way, as it is by his experience the policy at least at RDU. I don't have a federal ID so I can't test the hypothesis directly. You?

In light of the OPs observation, it appears that ORD is not alone in this. Granted, two anecdotes are not confirmatory data but absent any data to the contrary, beats your opinion in terms of veracity.

Just got off the phone with the TSA Contact Center. Phone: 1-866-289-9673 The gentleman I spoke with said there are only four ways to use Priority Screening: 1) Senator or Congressman, 2) Active duty military, 3) Enrolled in a Trusted Traveller program (NEXUS, Global Entry, etc.) or 4) Airline Frequent Flyer Program Status. And that the employee ID (PIV) card was not acceptable identification.

Federal employees cheating the system! Gotta love 'em!

I've used my federal employee ID for years. Works every time.

But I've never been put into the pre-check lane because of the ID.

We need to remain cognizant the priority screening and pre check are not the same thing. My anecdote refers to priority screening lines not to precheck.

I wonder if some of these incidents might not be caused by TDCs not paying attention, and mistaking the various federal IDs for NEXUS, GE, or military CAC. PIV and civilian CAC cards appear to be almost identical, and they look very similar to active duty military CAC cards, so this mistaken ID scenario is a possibility.

The TSA website now says:
Acceptable IDs include:

U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
DHS "Trusted Traveler" cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents, and DOD civilians)
Permanent Resident Card
Border Crossing Card
DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
Driver's Licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
Native American Tribal Photo ID
HSPD-12 PIV Card
An airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
A foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
Non-US/Canadian citizens are not required to carry their passports if they have documents issued by the U.S. government such as Permanent Resident Cards. Those who do not should be carrying their passports while visiting the U.S.
This standardization of the list of accepted documents better aligns TSA with other DHS components, including Customs and Border Protection, and REAL ID benchmarks.

Latest revision: 05 December 2013

Note that it now includes HSPD-12 PIV Card. Funny thing about that card. I have used it probably a dozen times over the last year. On one occasion (San Diego) it was refused by the line checker who told it was only a secondary ID. What is a secondary ID. He required that I present another ID to compare it to. What was the point in that as any other ID is sufficient on it's own. I provided my DL which of course was all that I needed, not as a verification of secondary ID (maybe library card?). Two flights and about a month later (Minneapolis) showed my PIV and not only was it accepted, I was placed in the priority line, (leave computer, liquids in bag, leave on shoes) as a trusted traveller. So I'm thinking wow, just saved the $$$ upcharge for trusted traveller status. Not so, it appears that TSA actually does not officially recognize the PIV for Trusted Traveller status (odd because of the extensive background check and lengthy process to get the Official Government identification) but it appears now, may (but possibly not in San Diego) accept the PIV for identification. In a side note, while working for a different federal agency a few years ago. I was told to use the VIP line at the Denver Airport, using my PIV for identification. I did it several times and not once did I experience anything even resembling a question about it.

Welcome to FlyerTalk, SmokeySam. :)
The only thing consistent about the TSA's processes is the inconsistency.
Probably a screener with dyslexia. ;)

This seems to be for ID, not priority, IMHO. I am a DoD employee with an Army CAC, have GE, and have retired military ID card. While I can use all for my ID, it is my understanding that only the GE gets me through PreCheck, and my elite status gets me into priority lines. Incorrect? :confused:

It's a long story, but, my agency gives out DoD CACs, even though we aren't part of the DoD. I made a domestic trip in late December and, incredulously, got the PreCheck both coming & going. I did nothing to sign up for it (and won't), so, the only thing I can think of was official domestic travel.

Two years ago, you would have been considered a potential terrorist by the TSA and now, allegedly, you aren't because you were traveling on government business. Amazing, simply amazing. I wonder if you'd get PreCheck if you were traveling on vacation or if you would revert to being a potential terrorist.

(I know the above sounds snarky and personal but it's not meant to be such.)

Actually, I have some official overseas travel scheduled for February. I'm sure I'll revert to being a terrorist again.

NO NO NO!

You'll revert to be wrongly considered a terrorist again.

We must be careful how we phrase things. No Such Agency is watching the interwebs...

Is the OP talking about getting into a TSA pre-check line or the 1st class line? I find it hard to believe someone can wave a random fed ID and get into precheck.

The 1st class "short" line is more plausible... the moat dragon is usually an older airline employee close to retiring. Some are pretty mean about who they let in, others seem more relaxed and would pull in random people in uniform or with babies. If that's the case, TSA policy / acceptable IDs isn't very relevant. It's a judgement call for the non-TSA gatekeeper. YMMV

I believe that very few are actually "airline" employees. They should mostly be airport employees or contractors. but unfortunately you are right on the second point.

I've wondered about this for a while-- I'm a federal contractor, not employee, but I have a PIV card to access my federal work facility (I also have a nearly identical card to access another private contractor's facility). The BC to get a PIV card is presumably more than to get precheck, so I was curious why they don't automatically put everyone with a PIV card into the precheck program. It would speed the lines quite a bit. I'll try my PIV card as ID next time I fly.

Separately from that, the whole precheck thing seems unnecessary-- the stuff they do in the regular line adds no additional security and just increases the cost and time involved in flying. But that's all probably a long discussion for some other time...

I've been in the regular line at DCA with scads of loud mouthed Congresspersons. Government ID means nothing. (And yes, I work for the Fed Gubment :eek:)

I am a Federal employee and have gotten to pass through the priority screening with my PIV card without exception in a number of different airports. However, the reactions from the TSA employees has been mixed.

Before I knew it was a (possible) option, I was actually pulled out of a long - maybe 45 minute wait - security line and shuffled into the 2-minute wait employee line by a TSA employee, who was astounded that I didn't know. Other reactions have ranged from "of course, go ahead" to "well, I don't know, you can try it" to polite indifference.

Yet I have never been turned away. I always just show them my PIV card and ask. If it works, it's a perk. If one day it doesn't, well, I always leave enough time to get through regular screening anyway. :)

Edited to add: I still have to go through regular screening with x-rays and metal detectors. The only thing I've ever gotten to skip is a long line.

90% success rate using PIV for priority access
 

I have been using my federal PIV card now for ~2 years when I am not flying my lifetime status carrier (United).

Until 2 days ago, I had 100% success in accessing other airline priority lines using it as my ID. At O'Hare Tuesday, the line monitor (no troll, just a very nice young woman trying to do her job) denied me access (Terminal 3). Regular line was running 20+ minutes. I just walked down two access points, tried again, and was waved through to priority line.

So whatever written policies may exist, operationally the federal PIV cards do reliably get you access to priority boarding lines, including in D.C. area. Just used it last Friday at Reagan National so appears large number of federal employees there has no effect.