Because I’m not a very frequent traveler and because I often receive boarding passes granting me TSA PreCheck status through my airline, I haven’t troubled to officially apply for TSA PreCheck. Having heard rumblings that those airline-granted PreCheck designations might be more selectively doled out or ceased altogether, I’ve been thinking I should just go ahead and apply.

One stickler for me is that my community doesn’t host a regular enrollment center. Requirements for enrolling in TSA PreCheck include filling out an application (which takes about 5 minutes online), paying an $85 fee, providing proof of identity and citizenship documents, and taking part in an in-person interview and providing fingerprints. When I plugged my town’s name into the Enrollment Center Locator to check for the nearest location, I noted that several communities provided these centers . . . but the nearest one was 60 miles away. Oddly enough, that city doesn’t have an airport with regular commercial flights, yet mine does. Go figure!

It seemed I would just have to schedule an appointment when I knew I would be in a location with a convenient enrollment center. Being the procrastinator I am, I haven’t bothered to do that yet. However, in March I learned a temporary office would open at our Rogue Valley International Medford Airport for a few weeks in April. Unfortunately, those weeks fell during a time I would be out of the area. My husband didn’t have that issue and immediately filled out his online application and booked an appointment.

He reported the interview and fingerprinting took perhaps 15 minutes, tops. The interview essentially consists of verifying information provided in the application, answering basic background questions and identifying one’s travel habits. After providing the $85 application fee, he was on his way, being told it may take up to 45 days for him to receive his Known Traveler Number. He can check the status of his application online at any time, and once he’s approved, he’ll use the KTN whenever he books a flight to receive the TSA PreCheck notation on his boarding pass over the next five years.

The good news for me is that the temporary enrollment center will be back in Medford for 10 days in June. No more procrastinating for me; time to fill out the application and book that appointment!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor