TSA and CLEAR to Launch Biometric eGates at Major U.S. Airports

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and biometric security company CLEAR have launched a pilot program to test biometric "eGates" at three major U.S. airports (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL), Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA)) ahead of a broader nationwide rollout.

Operating under the TSA’s Registered Traveler Program, CLEAR will work in collaboration with the TSA to deploy their eGates ahead of the 2026 World Cup and Olympic Games. CLEAR eGates match travelers’ faces with their IDs and boarding passes to verify their identities in the few seconds it takes for them to walk through, an approach that, notably, does not require an operator.

Using CLEAR’s eGates to skip airport lines comes with a price tag, however. The eGates are price-locked behind CLEAR’s premium membership, CLEAR+, for $209 per year.

“TSA’s public-private partnership with CLEAR on eGates is just one example of how we are working with stakeholders both inside and outside of government to improve hospitality and security for the American traveler,” stated TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl.

The TSA has also recently announced the elimination of its nearly 20-year-old “shoes off” policy as part of its ongoing modernization efforts. CLEAR’s eGates will likely be complemented by other security tech deployments as the department shapes its “Checkpoint of the Future” in conjunction with the industry.