Credential Authentication Technology

What is CAT?

Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) is a security game changer, ensuring ID authentication, reservation verification and Secure Flight pre-screening status are known in “near” real-time at the airport security checkpoint.

CAT is an effective tool for TSA officers, providing enhanced fraudulent ID detection capabilities while confirming the identity and flight information of travelers.

When a CAT unit is in use, a TSA officer will ask travelers to provide their photo IDs. The officer will insert each photo ID into the CAT unit where the ID is scanned and analyzed.

CAT is linked electronically to the Secure Flight database, which confirms travelers’ flight details, ensuring they are ticketed for travel that day. CAT also displays the pre-screening status (such as TSA PreCheck®) the traveler is eligible for, all without a boarding pass. However, CAT does not eliminate the requirement for passengers to check-in with their airline. Passengers still need their boarding pass to show the airline representative at their gate before boarding their flight.

Advantages of CAT

CAT improves the travel document checker’s ability to accurately authenticate passenger identification and pre-screening status, addressing the vulnerabilities associated with ID and boarding pass fraud.

Acceptable Forms of ID

Passengers 18 years old and over must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel. CAT can scan the following types of identification:

U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) ID. This includes IDs for active duty and retired military, their dependents, and DOD civilians. Also, the DOD Common Access Card (CAC).
U.S. Merchant Mariner ID
Trusted Traveler card:
- Global Entry
- Secure Electronic Network for Traveler Rapid Inspection (SENTRI)
- Free and Secure Trade (FAST) ID
- NEXUS card
Permanent Resident Card/Resident Alien Card (I-551)
Border Crossing Card/nonimmigrant visa (DSP-150)
DHS refugee travel document (I-571)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Employment Authorization Document (I-766)
Driver’s or enhanced driver’s license
Identification card issued by or under authority of a state Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent state office that is intended or commonly accepted for the purpose of identifying individuals
Passports
United Nations laissez-passer
Canadian driver’s license
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card

Airport Locations

TSA has CAT units at the following airports:

Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
Albany International Airport (ALB)
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Appleton International Airport (ATW)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
Bradley International Airport (BDL)
Bangor International Airport (BGR)
Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
Billings Logan International Airport (BIL)
Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS)
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal) (Gowen Field) (BOI)
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (Ryan Field) (BTR)
Burlington International Airport (BTV)
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
Hollywood Burbank Airport (was Bob Hope Airport) (BUR)
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Akron–Canton Airport (CAK)
Charleston International Airport / Charleston AFB (CHS)
The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
Yeager Airport (CRW)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY)
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
El Paso International Airport (ELP)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Sioux Falls Regional Airport (Joe Foss Field) (FSD)
Spokane International Airport (Geiger Field) (GEG)
Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)
Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)
Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport (Roger Milliken Field) (GSP)
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
Houston William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU)
Westchester County Airport (HPN)
Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (formerly Wichita Mid-Continent Airport) (ICT)
Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN)
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
McCarran International Airport (LAS)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB)
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Clinton National Airport (Adams Field) (was Little Rock National) (LIT)
Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
Minot International Airport (MOT)
Dane County Regional Airport (Truax Field) (MSN)
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Eppley Airfield (OMA)
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Norfolk International Airport (ORF)
Paine Field Airport (PAE)
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Punta Gorda Airport (PGD)
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
Pensacola International Airport (PNS)
Tri-Cities Airport (PSC)
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
Theodore Francis Green State Airport (PVD)
Portland International Jetport (PWM)
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
Richmond International Airport (RIC)
Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (Woodrum Field) (ROA)
Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC)
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV)
South Bend International Airport (was South Bend Regional) (SBN)
Louisville International Airport (Standiford Field) (SDF)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Springfield–Branson National Airport (SGF)
Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV)
San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (San Juan Airport) (SJU)
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
John Wayne Airport (SNA)
Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)
St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
Cyril E. King Airport (STT)
Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR)
Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Tulsa International Airport (TUL
Tucson International Airport (TUS)
McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)
Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA)

New TSA Credential Authentication Technology ID Scanners - No Boarding Pass Required

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Feb 28, 2024, 7:55 pm

#151

lamphs

Join Date: Jun 2008

Posts: 2,203

I haven't tried for awhile, but I've had my GE card as an ID refused at supposedly equipped small Midwest airports, as well as IAD. I've always had the impression that the officers were simply not familiar with it.