How to Opt Out of TSA Facial Recognition (2026 Guide)

The short version: When you reach the TSA checkpoint and see the camera, say "I'd like to opt out of facial recognition." They'll verify your ID the old-fashioned way. No extra screening. No delay. No attitude. That's it.

65 Airports

By spring 2026, TSA facial recognition will be at 65 airports, up from 15 in 2025

99% Weren't Told

In tests, only 1% of passengers were verbally informed they could opt out

100x Error Rate

Asian and African-American travelers misidentified up to 100x more often than white men

Your Right

Opting out is legal and should not result in extra screening or delays

## Why You Might Want to Opt Out TSA's PreCheck Touchless ID scans your face and matches it against government databases. They say it's voluntary. They say images are deleted within 24 hours. They say it won't be used for law enforcement. Here's what they're not saying as loudly: **Congress never authorized this.** TSA built the system first, figured out legal justification later. There's no federal law specifically permitting TSA to collect biometric data from domestic travelers. **The TSA Administrator said mandatory biometrics are coming.** In public remarks, David Pekoske stated: "Eventually we will require biometrics across the board." Today's opt-out could be tomorrow's unavoidable scan. **The technology is racially biased.** A 2019 NIST study found facial recognition algorithms misidentified Asian and African-American faces up to 100 times more often than white male faces. Native Americans had the highest false-positive rates. Women were flagged more than men. The algorithm can't even see you accurately. Why let it try? **Your biometric data has been breached before.** In 2019, CBP (which supplies TSA's face-matching database) suffered a data breach exposing traveler photos. Once your face data leaks, you can't change your face like you change a password. **Informed consent is a joke.** GAO criticized TSA for failing to properly notify travelers about the program. Signs use vague language like "biometric identity technology" instead of "facial recognition." Most travelers have no idea they can refuse. ## How to Opt Out: Step-by-Step ### Step 1: Approach the Checkpoint Normally Walk through security as usual. If your airport has Touchless ID, you'll see a camera at the document check station, usually a small screen mounted on a pole. ### Step 2: Before Facing the Camera, Speak Up When the TSA officer directs you toward the camera, say clearly: **"I'd like to opt out of facial recognition."** or **"I'd like to use standard ID verification instead."** That's it. Those words. ### Step 3: Show Your Physical ID The TSA officer will take your physical ID (driver's license, passport, or other valid ID) and verify it manually. This is the same process that existed before facial recognition. ### Step 4: Continue Through Security Proceed normally. No extra pat-downs. No secondary screening. No retaliation. **What most people experience:** The officer says "okay," takes your ID, verifies it, hands it back, and you're through. Total added time: maybe 30 seconds. ## What to Expect (Real Traveler Experiences) The Algorithmic Justice League surveyed travelers who opted out. Here's what they found: **Most encounters are uneventful.** TSA agents are trained to accept opt-outs without argument. One cybersecurity professional who opts out on every flight reported: "No delay, no attitude from the agent, and no escalation." **Some agents seem confused.** A few travelers reported agents who didn't know how to process a manual verification. If this happens, politely restate: "I'd prefer to show my physical ID. That's my right." **Signage is often unclear or missing.** Despite TSA policy requiring visible opt-out notices, many checkpoints don't display them prominently. Don't wait to be told you can opt out. Just do it. **You won't miss your flight.** Manual verification takes roughly the same amount of time as facial scanning. The system was designed to keep lines moving either way. ## Your Rights According to TSA's own policy and confirmed by civil liberties organizations:

You CAN

Decline facial recognition at any checkpoint where it's offered
Request manual ID verification instead
Ask to see a supervisor if an agent refuses your opt-out
File a complaint if you're treated differently for opting out
Record your interaction (in public areas)

TSA CAN'T

Force you to submit to facial scanning
Subject you to additional screening solely for opting out
Deny you boarding for refusing biometrics
Retaliate against opt-outs with delays or extra scrutiny
Require you to explain why you're opting out

## Where TSA Facial Recognition Is Active As of spring 2026, TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is available at these airports: **Original 15 airports (since 2024-2025):** - Atlanta (ATL) - Chicago O'Hare (ORD) - Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) - Detroit (DTW) - Las Vegas (LAS) - Los Angeles (LAX) - New York JFK (JFK) - New York LaGuardia (LGA) - Newark (EWR) - Phoenix (PHX) - Salt Lake City (SLC) - San Francisco (SFO) - Seattle (SEA) - Washington Reagan National (DCA) **Spring 2026 expansion (50 additional airports):** - Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH) - Washington Dulles (IAD) - Boston (BOS) - Miami (MIA) - Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - Orlando (MCO) - Palm Beach (PBI) - Dallas Love Field (DAL) - Houston Hobby (HOU) - Kansas City (MCI) - San Jose (SJC) - Sacramento (SMF) - Long Beach (LGB) - Orange County (SNA) - Baltimore (BWI) - Anchorage (ANC) - And approximately 35 more airports **If you're flying from one of these airports**, you'll likely encounter the camera. Even if you've enrolled in PreCheck, you can still opt out. ## Why TSA Is Pushing This Now Two reasons: **World Cup 2026.** The FIFA World Cup hits the US, Canada, and Mexico this summer. TSA is citing expected travel surges as justification for rapid expansion. Nothing normalizes surveillance like a sporting event. **Convenience sells surveillance.** TSA markets Touchless ID as faster and easier. And it is, slightly. But the trade-off is normalizing biometric collection by a federal agency that hasn't demonstrated it can protect that data, deploy it fairly, or resist mission creep. TSA Administrator Pekoske has been explicit: the end goal is mandatory biometrics. Every traveler who opts in today makes that future more likely. ## What Happens to Your Face Data TSA's official policy: 1. Your live photo is captured at the checkpoint 2. It's converted to a "biometric template" (mathematical representation of your face) 3. The template is matched against your passport photo stored by CBP 4. TSA claims the live image is deleted within 24 hours **What the policy doesn't say:** - How long the biometric template is retained - Whether data is shared with other DHS components - What happens if there's a system error or investigation - How you'd know if your data was retained longer than promised In 2019, CBP suffered a data breach that exposed traveler photos and license plates. The affected contractor, Perceptics, had transferred the data to its own network in violation of policy. CBP didn't detect it for months. When you opt out, none of your biometric data enters the system in the first place. ## If You Have Problems ### Agent refuses your opt-out Say: "TSA policy allows travelers to opt out of facial recognition. I'd like to speak with a supervisor." Remain calm. Document the interaction (badge number, time, terminal). File a complaint at TSA.gov or call TSA Contact Center: 1-866-289-9673. ### You're subjected to extra screening If TSA sends you to secondary screening solely because you opted out, that may violate policy. Note the details and report it. **Report to:** - **TSA:** tsa.gov/contact-center/form/complaints - **DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP):** dhs.gov/dhs-trip - **ACLU:** aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/face-recognition-technology ### You want to track your experience The Algorithmic Justice League runs a TSA Scorecard at **fly.ajl.org**. Document your opt-out experience to help track whether travelers are being properly informed of their rights. ## Alternatives: Avoiding Facial Recognition Entirely If you want to avoid TSA checkpoints altogether: **TSA PreCheck standard lanes** still exist at most airports. PreCheck doesn't require facial recognition: Touchless ID is a separate opt-in program. You can have PreCheck without participating in biometric screening. **CLEAR is worse, not better.** CLEAR uses both iris scans and fingerprints. More biometrics, not fewer. If you're avoiding facial recognition, CLEAR isn't the answer. **Drive instead.** For trips under 500 miles, driving often takes similar total time once you factor in airport hassle. No federal biometrics required. **Amtrak doesn't scan faces.** For routes where train service exists, it's usually a facial-recognition-free zone. For now. ## The Bigger Picture TSA facial recognition is one node in a [growing federal biometric surveillance network](/news/ice-mobile-fortify-facial-recognition-thompson-bill-2026). The same CBP Traveler Verification Service that powers TSA Touchless ID also feeds ICE's facial recognition tools. The databases connect. When you opt out, you're not just protecting your own privacy. You're refusing to normalize biometric surveillance for everyone else. Every traveler who participates without question makes it easier for TSA to argue the program is popular. Every traveler who opts out demonstrates that demand for privacy exists. Enough opt-outs might even slow the march toward mandatory biometrics. Or they might not. TSA has ignored GAO recommendations, dismissed civil liberties concerns, and accelerated deployment despite documented problems. The political will to stop this doesn't exist in Congress. But your right to opt out exists today. Use it while you still can. ## Quick Reference Card Print this or screenshot it for the airport: --- **AT TSA CHECKPOINT** When you see the camera, say: **"I'd like to opt out of facial recognition."** Show your physical ID. Continue normally. **If they push back:** "TSA policy allows opt-outs. I'd prefer standard verification." **If they refuse:** "May I speak with a supervisor?" **Your rights:** - Opting out is legal - No extra screening required - No explanation needed - TSA Contact Center: 1-866-289-9673 --- ## Resources **Know your rights:** - [Algorithmic Justice League - FLY Campaign](https://www.ajl.org/campaigns/fly) (TSA facial recognition scorecard) - [ACLU - Face Recognition Technology](https://www.aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/face-recognition-technology) (legal resources) - [Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) - TSA](https://epic.org/issues/surveillance-oversight/tsa/) (policy analysis) **Report problems:** - TSA Contact Center: 1-866-289-9673 - TSA Complaints: tsa.gov/contact-center/form/complaints - DHS TRIP: dhs.gov/dhs-trip **Legislation to support:** - Traveler Privacy Protection Act (S. 1691) (would codify opt-out rights and prevent mandatory biometrics) ## Related Coverage - [TSA Expanding Facial Recognition to 65 Airports](/news/tsa-touchless-id-65-airports-facial-recognition-2026) (the expansion announcement) - [How to Defeat Facial Recognition](/guides/advanced/how-to-defeat-facial-recognition) (broader strategies) - [DHS Face-Scanning App Uses 1.2 Billion Image Database](/news/ice-mobile-fortify-facial-recognition-thompson-bill-2026) (the connected system) - [Know Your Rights: ICE Encounters](/guides/basic/know-your-rights-ice-encounters) (related civil liberties guide) ## The Bottom Line TSA facial recognition is expanding to 65 airports. You can opt out by saying seven words: "I'd like to opt out of facial recognition." The agent will verify your ID manually. You'll get through security. You'll make your flight. The TSA Administrator said mandatory biometrics are the goal. The technology is biased. Your data has been breached before. Congress never authorized this. You have the right to refuse. For now. Use it.