TSA has made one of the biggest changes to its policy since its creation back in 2001: Passengers will no longer be required to take their shoes off at checkpoints. This change is reportedly being implemented today.
Until now, TSA PreCheck members have been exempt from this rule. This was strictly for non-members, although there were a few occasions at some airports where non-members were not required to take their shoes off, either. You could never tell what kind of screening was being done on a given day. I’ve once seen all non-members at Boston Logan Airport’s Terminal A walk by a dog before the usual screening a few years ago, and I haven’t seen that since.
Passengers who do not have a Real ID-compliant form of identification will still have to take their shoes off, as they would be subject to additional screening.
According to internal memos, TSA has noted that technological advancements and reassessment of threat-level risks have pushed this change. It’s true that other countries around the world with similar threat levels have not needed to require the removal of shoes.
This does come at a time of bipartisan criticism of TSA as a whole, with some questioning the need for the agency in the first place. There’s no doubt that politics played a role in this decision as well.
I’m curious to see whether or not this changes the value of TSA PreCheck for some people. It’s a minor change considering the rest of the benefits of the program (and I still think it’s worth it), but the “you don’t have to take your shoes off” was a big advertisement for PreCheck. This, coupled with the potential of faster non-member lanes, might make some passengers question the need for it, particularly among those who don’t fly as frequently. I think this will require a long-term assessment, and we’ll see the effects gradually, if any.
All photos taken by the author.
