Mar 2, 2022, 5:22 pm
Last edit by: TWA884
From the TSA website:
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.
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
Oct 29, 2017, 8:27 am
#46
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
There are several threads on this from a few months ago when the system was introduced at IAD. Those were all merged and perhaps this one will be as well.
Most people who have experienced it at IAD and elsewhere, find that it moves the process significantly faster and also does not require a BP as the name match links to those with same tickets from IAD.
Most people who have experienced it at IAD and elsewhere, find that it moves the process significantly faster and also does not require a BP as the name match links to those with same tickets from IAD.
Oct 30, 2017, 6:01 am
#47
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: USA
Posts: 305
For your flying convenience, the TSA Security Theatre has upped its game at Dulles International Airport!
No longer does a screener guess if your license is valid and your boarding pass is real with a causal glance at both documents.
Now they have a fancy computer screen to tell them all!
No longer does a screener guess if your license is valid and your boarding pass is real with a causal glance at both documents.
Now they have a fancy computer screen to tell them all!
Nov 6, 2017, 12:29 pm
#48
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
It's not only potentially a timesaver but a security enhancement as well.
1) If passengers need valid secure flight data then you can't fake a boarding pass. Boarding passes issued digitally (print at home/mobile phone) have to be digitally signed for carriers offering Precheck, but carriers who don't offer precheck or boarding passes printed at kiosks are not digitally signed and could be tampered with (depends on the airline; Westjet signs kiosk printed boarding passes, while United kiosk printed boarding passes lack a digital signature). These machines check secure flight data which is ticketing data sent to TSA, so the person has to have a valid ticket, regardless of carrier.
2) The check of the ID, if a high resolution imaging device is used, could check for security features too small to be seen easily by the naked eye or not visible to the naked eye, and potentially throw a warning.
One is obvious, two may or may not be part of the reason for the implementation.
EDIT: Looks like it probably does:
Guess that's what the ID = Normal thing is in the Flickr screenshot of it (pic posted by user Wayan on this thread, at the top of page 4).
1) If passengers need valid secure flight data then you can't fake a boarding pass. Boarding passes issued digitally (print at home/mobile phone) have to be digitally signed for carriers offering Precheck, but carriers who don't offer precheck or boarding passes printed at kiosks are not digitally signed and could be tampered with (depends on the airline; Westjet signs kiosk printed boarding passes, while United kiosk printed boarding passes lack a digital signature). These machines check secure flight data which is ticketing data sent to TSA, so the person has to have a valid ticket, regardless of carrier.
2) The check of the ID, if a high resolution imaging device is used, could check for security features too small to be seen easily by the naked eye or not visible to the naked eye, and potentially throw a warning.
One is obvious, two may or may not be part of the reason for the implementation.
EDIT: Looks like it probably does:
Originally Posted by E-Seek
The E-Seek Model M500 Forensic Reader extracts hidden security features of a driver's license, Military ID or any identity card for authentication purposes in addition to reading and decoding the electronic information contained in the barcode or magnetic stripe.
Nov 12, 2017, 3:05 pm
#49
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
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Security enhancement yes but timesaver, not quite sure. Seems like it takes a while for it to pull the itin up when I was at CLT yesterday.
Two passengers in front of me used US passport and it took 3-5 seconds for them to be processed. Seems to take same amount of time with traditional checks assuming passenger had both BP and IDs available.
When it came to my turn, I presented NEXUS card. ID checker inserted into credit card sized scanner. Took about 7-10 seconds before ID checker asked to see my BP. Not sure if system got confused it was NEXUS card or I flew FRA-CLT and my remaining flight is CLT-EWR.
Two passengers in front of me used US passport and it took 3-5 seconds for them to be processed. Seems to take same amount of time with traditional checks assuming passenger had both BP and IDs available.
When it came to my turn, I presented NEXUS card. ID checker inserted into credit card sized scanner. Took about 7-10 seconds before ID checker asked to see my BP. Not sure if system got confused it was NEXUS card or I flew FRA-CLT and my remaining flight is CLT-EWR.
Nov 13, 2017, 12:09 pm
#51
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott LTPP, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 1,079
Security enhancement yes but timesaver, not quite sure. Seems like it takes a while for it to pull the itin up when I was at CLT yesterday.
Two passengers in front of me used US passport and it took 3-5 seconds for them to be processed. Seems to take same amount of time with traditional checks assuming passenger had both BP and IDs available.
When it came to my turn, I presented NEXUS card. ID checker inserted into credit card sized scanner. Took about 7-10 seconds before ID checker asked to see my BP. Not sure if system got confused it was NEXUS card or I flew FRA-CLT and my remaining flight is CLT-EWR.
Two passengers in front of me used US passport and it took 3-5 seconds for them to be processed. Seems to take same amount of time with traditional checks assuming passenger had both BP and IDs available.
When it came to my turn, I presented NEXUS card. ID checker inserted into credit card sized scanner. Took about 7-10 seconds before ID checker asked to see my BP. Not sure if system got confused it was NEXUS card or I flew FRA-CLT and my remaining flight is CLT-EWR.
Paper boarding pass or ones giving more scrutiny... I've had ID checks by TDCs take more than 10 seconds.
As far as time per passenger, I think if it can match the name uniquely it's probably pretty fast, if it can't match a passenger name uniquely from the ID then they have to disambiguate on the screen (e.g. differences between name on ID versus name on boarding pass).
Dec 20, 2017, 8:32 pm
#52
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: BOS
Programs: AA Gld; DL Plat; UA Gld;Bonvoy Titanium4Life; Hyatt Silver;
Posts: 162
I used an ID scanner at BOS this morning. (More accurately - it was used on my driver's license.) Thanks to Wayan for the photo from IAD; can anyone answer what populates the DOB onto the screen, the ID or the reservation? Obviously it's on both my license and on my FF account, but is that what's being compared? I assume the reservation populates everything on the screen and TSA only compares that against the scanned ID. I've got a round number bday in 3 weeks and I'm starting to not want everyone to know about it. (Except you guys, of course!)
Last edited by FNZFUND; Dec 20, 2017 at 8:41 pm Reason: typo
Aug 6, 2018, 11:53 am
#53
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: AA LT PLT (3.6+ MM), UA 1K LT Gold, Hilton LT Diamond, Bonvoy Gold.
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Portland (PDX) no need to show BP in PreCheck (new technology test)
Didn't see a discussion about this. Passed through PDX (Portland, OR) on the D/E side Precheck lane last Sunday.I was already checked in with a both an electronic BP and a backup paper BP. There was a sign stating that the TSA were trying a new piece of technology. The clerk slid my passport into a scanner, got a green light along with some illegible (from my angle) information on a small LCD screen attached to the scanner. I never had to show any form of BP. The whole process was pretty slow, something in the order of 10s from inserting the card to getting the green light. Any other trials going on and any idea if this technology will one day be rolled out nationally? If the speed can be improved, it seems like it might make travel a little easier, and as a bonus you don't get clerks scribbling all over your BP...
Aug 6, 2018, 12:12 pm
#54
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,653
Moderator's Action
Hello @timfountain,
That technology has been undergoing real world trials at several airports for about a year.
I've merged your post into the thread discussing it in the Trusted Travelers forum.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
That technology has been undergoing real world trials at several airports for about a year.
I've merged your post into the thread discussing it in the Trusted Travelers forum.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
Aug 26, 2018, 6:07 am
#57
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: EY
Posts: 852
Assuming this is the same one implemented in coordination with CBP, the privacy impact statement says it only remains on the tablet until the next passenger arrives, or two minutes, then is wiped clean.
Sep 20, 2018, 7:18 pm
#58
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,967
ID scans at PDX PreCheck today, no BP required to be shown
They've switched to a new system where your ID is scanned in a machine (something akin to a ticket reader at a parking garage). No BP needed to be shown. It even accepted my Global Entry card (I don't use my DL when flying for fear of leaving it someone by accident).
A quick search didn't turn up anything. I was just in PDX a month ago and they were still scanning BPs then.
Anyone have more info?
A quick search didn't turn up anything. I was just in PDX a month ago and they were still scanning BPs then.
Anyone have more info?
Oct 11, 2018, 10:42 pm
#60
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New ID scans for PreCheck at AA checkpoints
i didn’t know TSA has already installed new ID scan for PreCheck. I flew out from Miami airport by yesterday. Is that new? I went to PreCheck checkpoints and I scan my eboarding pass from my iPhone and then the next one I went to ID checker. I gave my travel ID to screener. She scanned it and I hear beep. When it did happen? When it did starts?