This week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the roll out of eGates to speed up the identity verification process travelers do before going through the security screening. Starting at a handful of the country’s busiest airports, the first eGates will be operated by CLEAR, the company behind the accelerated security screening program called CLEAR+.
The eGates, currently available exclusively to CLEAR+ members, are the latest in a series of moves by the TSA to make your time spent going through airport security shorter and less tedious as it gears up for an influx of travel during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That includes ditching the hated shoes off policy, creating separate lanes for families and offering free or discounted TSA PreCheck for active military, veterans and their families.
Here’s what you need to know about the new eGates and what the new tech means for travelers who are considering enrolling in TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or CLEAR+.
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TSA’s new eGates aim to speed up airport security screening ahead of the 2026 World Cup
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The CLEAR-operated eGates will be pilot tested at three airports starting this month. Those first airports to get the new tech include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
When you get to an eGate, the machine automatically compares your biometrics – in this case, your face – with your ID and boarding pass. A human TSA agent will no longer be required to manually verify that you are the person on your documents. While the gates are operated by CLEAR, the rest of the process is controlled by TSA. That includes triggering gate access and monitoring watchlists.
Currently, the gates are an opt-in program available only to CLEAR+ members. But it rolls the current two-step identity verification process into an automated one-step process. In an interview with Axios, CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker said the whole process should take about six seconds or less.
The move is part of the TSA’s larger strategy to make airport security faster and more efficient in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will see millions of soccer fans from around the world flying into watch championship games in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and other major cities across the United States (as well as Canada and Mexico).
Is it worth enrolling in CLEAR+ for the eGates?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
With the new eGates coming to major airports, you might be wondering if this is finally your sign to enroll in CLEAR+. The membership includes complimentary enrollment in TSA PreCheck and access to CLEAR lanes at the airport.
Currently, those lanes allow you to cut to the front of the security line by scanning your biometrics at a CLEAR pod and then being escorted to a TSA agent to have your identity verified by an agent.
If you regularly fly out of one of the three airports getting the eGates, signing up now means you can just scan your boarding pass and biometrics and head straight to the security screening – no more middle step of being escorted to a podium to be verified again by a TSA agent.
If you don’t fly out of any of those three airports, CLEAR+ will still be the two-step process it is now until the eGates roll out nationwide. Still, that two-step process allows you to cut in front of both the general security line and the TSA PreCheck line.
At $209 per year, membership isn’t cheap. But for frequent flyers, the time you save at airport security can more than make up for the fee. It also comes with other perks like expedited passport renewals and discounts on luggage shipping.
