7,500 Utahns have now applied for expedited airport screening

TSA Pre-Check • Agency urges more to apply to speed travel.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Passengers removes, jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Passengers removes, jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune
Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Enrollment in the new TSA Pre-Check program grants passengers an ID number for $85 that allows access to the expedited security line for five years.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune
Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Enrollment in the new TSA Pre-Check program grants passengers an ID number for $85 that allows access to the expedited security line for five years.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Lennie Mahler | Tribune file photo
Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport in this file photo from 2014. Amid reports of long lines -- sometimes more than three hours long -- at major airports nationally, the Transportation Security Administration at Salt Lake City assured airport leaders that it has the situation in hand.

Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune
Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport in March. Enrollment in the new TSA Pre-Check program grants passengers an ID number for $85 that allows access to the expedited security line for five years.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

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Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Passengers removes, jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Passengers removes, jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Enrollment in the new TSA Pre-Check program grants passengers an ID number for $85 that allows access to the expedited security line for five years. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Enrollment in the new TSA Pre-Check program grants passengers an ID number for $85 that allows access to the expedited security line for five years. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Lennie Mahler | Tribune file photo Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport in this file photo from 2014. Amid reports of long lines -- sometimes more than three hours long -- at major airports nationally, the Transportation Security Administration at Salt Lake City assured airport leaders that it has the situation in hand. Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune Travelers pass through the expedited security line in Salt Lake City International Airport in March. Enrollment in the new TSA Pre-Check program grants passengers an ID number for $85 that allows access to the expedited security line for five years. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune TSA worker checks identification and boarding passes before passengers have to remove jackets, belts, shoes, open laptops before going through the security scanners at Salt Lake International Airport Monday December 16. The airport's new PreCheck system allows travelers to skip most of these requirements speeding up the security and boarding process.

By Lee Davidson The Salt Lake Tribune

· November 13, 2014 7:21 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Transportation Security Administration crossed a significant threshold Thursday — more than 700,000 Americans have now applied for TSA Pre-Check expedited screening at airports. The program began just 11 months ago.

In Utah, 7,500 people have applied for the program — which costs $85 and is good for five years.

"It speeds up the screening process significantly," said TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers. "I don't have to take off my shoes. I don't have to remove my laptop. I don't have to remove my liquids, gels and aerosols. I just put my bags on the conveyor belt and I walk through. I'm through very quickly. It makes flying less stressful."

TSA took advantage of crossing the 700,000 threshold on Thursday to urge more people to apply for the program.

"This is a great airport for Pre-Check, because it has lines in both terminals," Dankers said at Salt Lake City International Airport. "Anybody I can take out of general screening and put in Pre-Check makes general screening go a lot faster."

"Now is a good time — ahead of the holiday travel season — to visit an enrollment center to apply," said Ronald Malin, TSA federal security director for Utah. A list of documents needed to apply is available online at tsa.gov, and people must also pass a criminal background check.

Utah has three application centers.

One is on the first floor of Terminal 2 at Salt Lake City International Airport, across from the baggage claim. Another is in Murray at 925 E. Executive Park Drive, Suite C. A third is in St. George at at 558 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 203.

"We take walk-ins, or people can call ahead for an appointment if they want," Dankers said.

Dankers also encourages all flyers to carefully look at their boarding passes, because they will sometimes find they have been given Pre-Check access on a one-time basis.

She said it is sometimes randomly given to flyers with demographic backgrounds considered low-risk on a flight-to-flight basis. However, the only way to ensure they always receive it is to apply for Pre-Check status and to pay the application fee.