This Little Trick Can Speed Up Your TSA PreCheck Enrollment

While applying for TSA PreCheck usually doesn’t take that long (at least compared to Global Entry), there is a backlog regarding interview appointments that could tack on a few additional weeks to the process. To get around that delay, head to…Staples?

As the travel site The Points Guy reminds us, the office supply chain has been offering TSA PreCheck interviews since 2018. You simply go to the Staples site, type in your zip code to see if there’s a store near you that’s participating in the TSA PreCheck process, then complete the normal application on the TSA site. And when you reserve your appointment on the government website, simply select the option to interview at an enrollment center “located inside Staples.”

Bonus: Staples claims “appointments are appreciated but walk-ins are welcome.” As well, the store also offers passport photos and Birth Certify, which may be able to retrieve your birth record (which you’ll need for the TSA screening). Interviews only take a few minutes and include fingerprinting and a background check.

TSA PreCheck is currently $85 for five years or $70 to renew. As an expedited security program, it allows travelers to skip normal security lines at airports and get into PreCheck-only lines, which can go as fast as five minutes. It also allows you to keep your shoes, jacket and belt on during security screenings, and keep your laptop and compliant liquids in your bag.

Due to the interview backlog at Trusted Travel Programs — which seems to be hitting Global Entry harder — IdentoGO has rolled out mobile TSA PreCheck enrollment. And if you really want to get Global Entry (which you should, as it includes TSA PreCheck), you might be able to schedule Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival.