Miami International Airport unveils a faster way to clear security checkpoints

Miami International Airport unveiled a new way to clear security on Tuesday that’s likely to speed up travel through one of the country’s busiest airports.

New facial recognition technology called TSA PreCheck Touchless ID will allow passengers who already have TSA PreCheck to be identified without needing to present their physical ID or boarding pass at security checkpoints.

Touchless ID verifies a traveler’s identity in less than four seconds, according to Dan Velez, TSA spokesperson for Florida. Passengers look into a camera at a dedicated lane, where their live photo is securely matched against their stored passport. The change would allow for “a faster, more seamless identity verification process,” said a TSA statement.

The process is voluntary, so the traditional method will remain for now, for those who prefer that.

It’s meant to enhance security while providing travelers more convenience.

Three checkpoints at MIA now have TSA PreCheck Touchless ID: Checkpoint 1 in Concourse D, Checkpoint 5 in front of Concourse E and Checkpoint 8 in Concourse H. Travelers on American Airlines benefit from the first and second, those on Alaska Airlines from the second and flyers on Delta Air Line and United Airlines from the third.

More touchless ID will get rolled out later at additional TSA checkpoints at MIA, Velez, the TSA spokesperson, told the Herald on Tuesday.

The tool is only available to TSA PreCheck members. If you enroll in TSA PreCheck, you can also use it.

In order to use Touchless ID, travelers must opt in through their airline’s app or profile and make sure their TSA PreCheck Known Traveler Number and valid passport information are on file.

A TSA PreCheck Touchless ID indicator will appear on the passenger’s mobile boarding pass. Travelers only have to do this once per airline.

Velez did suggest that travelers still carry a physical ID as backup, and that it may sometimes be requested by agents.

Enrollment in TSA PreCheck is open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents and can be initiated online.

Bringing the technology to MIA “marks another step forward in modernizing airport security and improving the passenger journey,” said TSA’s Federal Security Director for Miami International Airport, Stephen Taber, who attended Tuesday’s event.

“I’ve used it. It is fast,” Juan Carlos Liscano, American Airlines vice-president of operations at Miami International, said at the launch. “It is one of the multiple things we’re doing to enhance the customer experience.”

The tool though was first rolled out at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in 2021. About 40 airports in the U.S. now offer it, said Velez. In the majority of those cases, the technology was rolled out in 2025 and in 2026.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport started using it in January.

By the end of March, another 25 airports in the U.S. will have it, Velez said.