Mar 2, 2022, 5:22 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: TWA884

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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Sep 23, 2021, 12:48 pm

#106

GUWonder

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Quote:

Originally Posted by danib62

One interesting data point is the scanners still don't recognize HSPD-12 PIV cards (AKA federal government employee ID cards) despite them being on the TSA list of acceptable IDs. Anytime I try to use mine at an airport that's using the scanners the TSO will ask me if I have another form of ID. No idea what would happen if I said no.

TSA @ORD T5 has repeatedly tried to give me and some others grief about trying to use GE cards for ID there and instead demanded presentation of other ID as part of the travel document check; and the last few times they said the GE cards don’t scan for them in the way of other accepted US-issued ID. I played the screening point shuffle and then used my GE card anyway to get airside at T5 those times. I got the sense that dealing with a different TSA employee or supervisor may have worked some of those times without doing the screening point shuffle at ORD T5, but other times there just wasn’t time to try to see how it would go.

Sep 23, 2021, 12:51 pm

#107

danib62

Join Date: Sep 2015

Location: DCA

Posts: 439

That’s interesting, I’ve never had any issues having my GE card scanned.

In my experience the GE cards will scan using the machines. My issue is PIV cards will not work in the scanners. I’ve had friendly TSOs try them. They’re all familiar with them because they themselves have them as they’re federal employees.

Sep 23, 2021, 1:21 pm

#108

Maxwell Smart

Join Date: Dec 2004

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Quote:

Originally Posted by danib62

I've always used my HSPD-12 ID. When the ID-scanning device doesn't recognize it, the screener matches my name on the ID with the physical BP, and then lets me pass. Never been asked/told to go back to the airline counter or to produce another ID.

Dec 19, 2021, 1:43 am

#109

seawolf

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Quote:

Originally Posted by BelmontRef

About the only thing I've found the GE card useful for (before we switched to NEXUS) is in lieu of a NEXUS card entering the U.S. by car via a NEXUS lane and as federal ID at airports. I prefer to use a passport or GE/NEXUS card as ID as now that TSA at some airports just scans your ID (and not your boarding pass) to determine pre-Check entitlement, I expect the GE card or passport will definitely match the name in the Pre-Check database whereas some state IDs apparently don't match (given reports of people being turned away).

Any reason you indicate that?

PreCheck is tied to the boarding pass not the ID presented at check point. ID scanner merely looks up your boarding pass.

If what you indicate is the case, then there is no need for airlines to make IT changes to participate in PreCheck program. Do we know if people who were turned around actually had Pre on boarding pass? Or perhaps ID presented as you indicated didn’t match resulting in being turned away because no boarding pass was found and not because of no PreCheck.

Last edited by seawolf; Dec 19, 2021 at 1:53 am

Dec 19, 2021, 7:57 am

#110

BelmontRef

Join Date: May 2009

Posts: 205

Quote:

Originally Posted by seawolf

I had numerous reports of TSA doing that and then experienced it first hand at both ORD and LAX (interestingly, at LAX, there were two ID checkers one doing it the old way by scanning the boarding pass and looking at the ID and one doing it the new way of just scanning the ID).

When doing it the new way (just scanning ID), there was still a non-TSA line dragon checking for Pre-Check on the BP but TSA did not look at the BP. The reports I read (in a non-public FB group so can't refer people to it) say they had Pre-Check on the BP but were rejected by TSA when the ID was scanned. People did not say what ID they presented (lots and lots of people don't even seem to understand why that might be important).

Under the new method, it is not at all clear to me if whatever is going on behind the scene is even then checking to see if you have a Pre-Check eligible BP issued by an airline or is just querying the same database that gets used when a BP is issued to determine Pre-Check eligibility.

Oddly, I had a TSA ID checker either apologize or complain about a long delay when I presented my NEXUS card. He said GE and NEXUS cards take longer to process than passports and driver's licenses which I found off since GE and NEXUS cards have the KTN on them and passports and DLs don't so why they would take longer is mystery (should be less database lookups involved).

Dec 22, 2021, 3:47 am

#111

Ari

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2005

Location: Chicago

Posts: 11,513

Quote:

Originally Posted by BelmontRef

Under the new method, it is not at all clear to me if whatever is going on behind the scene is even then checking to see if you have a Pre-Check eligible BP issued by an airline or is just querying the same database that gets used when a BP is issued to determine Pre-Check eligibility.

Technically the former using data from the latter:

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/fi...20130118_0.pdf

GUWonder likes this.

Dec 28, 2021, 10:43 am

#112

kennycrudup

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FWIW I always only use my GE card as ID at airports (dropped my DL once which caused a lot of grief at the destination) and while it takes longer at "ID-only" TDCs, I've never not "lost" my Pre-Check. What does sometimes happen in the case of same-day changes or ticketing is I'll get asked my flight number (which is curious, as I wonder if that means it's not in there at all, or if there's the old entry and the new one in the case of ticket changes).

Dec 30, 2021, 2:23 am

#113

Ari

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2005

Location: Chicago

Posts: 11,513

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennycrudup

There will probably be a duplicate entry-- one for each flight.

TWA884 likes this.

Mar 1, 2022, 11:54 pm

#114

Pupster

Join Date: Jan 2017

Posts: 29

TSA Checkpoint Denver and LGA ID Scanner Beeped

It beeped once at lga and she said “hold on there’s an error and wiped it in her shirt and tried to reread it.” The system hung for a bit and then she said I was cleared.

at denver on the return it beeped TWICE and the girl said, “if it happens a third time you have to get out and go to the ticket counter….”

So, Is the CAT scan just reading only the ID itself (so maybe some computer readable text or a magnetic bar on it is damaged)? Or is there something in my background that I have to correct so that it doesn’t go off (ie does it go to the internet for the verification of the id itself (apart from checking the flight database), or is everything that the CAT scanner needs encoded on the id itself? I didn’t need my boarding pass at den.

I usually use clear but the entrance was closed as I am taking a red eye.

Last edited by Pupster; Mar 2, 2022 at 3:01 am

Mar 2, 2022, 1:30 pm

#115

Section 107

Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: WAS

Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(

Posts: 2,507

CAT will scan the document presented and compare it against its database of over 2,500 types of government issued identification documents to determine the authenticity of the presented document. At the same time, it is comparing the presented document to the SFDB to match the ID with a valid boarding pass. If there is any discrepancy or mismatch, maybe between names, DoB, something else, then it will beep. Depending upon the nature of the discrepancy, the pax will be referred back to the commercial carrier to correct/resolve the discrepancy in their system for real-time update back to the SFDB. The TDC can use discretion in resolving minor issues such as "John Q Public, II" not matching exactly with "John Q. Public, Jr."

So, no, it is not something in your background (ie unresolved citations for mopery with intent to creep or improper stationary positioning of a motor vehicle) but rather how your Secure Flight data is matching to your ID. You should double check your PNR info with info on the ID you are presenting to TSA.

Mar 3, 2022, 9:11 pm

#116

Pupster

Join Date: Jan 2017

Posts: 29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Section 107

thanks this was a very excellent explanation; i noticed that my name on my boarding pass (united) has my FIRSTNAMEMIDDLENAME then LASTNAME. My name is FIRSTNAME MIDDLENAME LASTNAME. Wonder if the merging of FIRSTNAMEMIDDLENAME in the FIRST NAME part of my ticket is what caused one of the flags. I'm not sure what the other flag was...so is it possible there are chips in the driver's license i provided that may have been not transmitting a 'genuine" signal to the reader? or, could physical trauma to the presented ID lead to an inability to verify whether the ID presented is legit?

Mar 4, 2022, 11:18 am

#117

Section 107

Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: WAS

Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(

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The CAT reader scans the presented ID document to determine which type of document it is and if it is authentic (all of the expected security elements are present) and if it is valid (not expired). The document itself does not transmit a code to indicate it is "genuine" or authentic to the CAT. The TSO will check that the name/gender/DoB electronically encoded on the ID matches the information printed on the ID. If the machine indicates the ID does not meet expected parameters (might not be authentic or valid) then the TSO will manually examine the document for authenticity and validity.

If a pax presents an ID document that cannot be authenticated or validated but otherwise matches the SFDB info then the pax (if not otherwise prohibited from entering the sterile area) is be subject to the normal enhanced screening procedures and allowed to enter the sterile area, as appropriate.

Mar 4, 2022, 4:24 pm

#118

EAJuggalo

Join Date: Sep 2017

Location: OSH

Programs: SWRR, HH, SM, TSA Pre

Posts: 758

I'm curious, if I were to give my federally recognized tribal ID, which has no security features whatsoever to the ID checker what would happen? It's on the list of approved ID's for checkpoints but this thing looks like it was made by a 12 year old in a basement somewhere.

Mar 5, 2022, 2:53 pm

#119

Section 107

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Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(

Posts: 2,507

TSOs have been known to NOT accept driver's licenses from the District of Columbia because it is not a state so....if a TSO does not recognize your document as acceptable then you would most likely be referred for enhanced screening. If that happens, you should ask for a lead TSO or a supervisory TSO to double check the list of acceptable documents and your document, might even want to have a printout of the webpage that lists it as acceptable. Remember that ID is not actually needed to fly but it sure makes things easier. So, build in enough time for enhanced screening into your schedule. If you have other ID that matches your PNR data, then bring that, too.

Mar 6, 2022, 1:02 pm

#120

_kurt

Join Date: Apr 2010

Posts: 1,546

Quote:

Originally Posted by Section 107

If a pax presents an ID document that cannot be authenticated or validated but otherwise matches the SFDB info then the pax (if not otherwise prohibited from entering the sterile area) is be subject to the normal enhanced screening procedures and allowed to enter the sterile area, as appropriate.

That may be the official policy but does not match my experience. Perhaps not all the TSOs are trained on this policy? I presented a valid ID that the machine did not like (the issue was with reading the ID, not a name mismatch) and the TSO made no attempt to examine or authenticate it manually. He just tried to throw me out of the line to go back to the airline desk. Luckily I happened to have a second form of ID that the scanner liked better.