Skip the long lines at the airport, sign up for TSA Pre-check

<p>You&#39;ve heard others talking about it, praising how quickly they get through airport security, but what actually goes into becoming a Transportation Security Administration PreCheck flier?</p><p>Well, time and money. But here are the specifics:</p><p>As long as you&#39;re a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident, you can pay $85 to apply to become a PreCheck flier. But the money doesn&#39;t guarantee anything.</p><p>You&#39;ll have to visit an enrollment center for an in-person interview. These locations will usually accept walk-ins, but those with appointments get priority.</p><p>As of June, the TSA said&nbsp;<a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/06/23/482166446/tsa-precheck-applications-soar-amid-long-lines-at-airports" target="_blank">nearly 16,000 people</a>&nbsp;have been applying for PreCheck each day. So unless you want to kill an hour or two waiting at an enrollment center, it&#39;s probably best to set an appointment ahead of time.</p><p>Applicants will, of course, need to be background checked, but as part of the interview, they&#39;ll also need to be fingerprinted.</p><p><a href="https://www.loungebuddy.com/blog/tsa-pre-check-ultimate-guide/" target="_blank">LoungeBuddy says</a>&nbsp;everything the TSA collects during the application and interview processes will be cross-checked against intelligence databases, the government&#39;s watch list and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&#39;s list of people who aren&#39;t allowed to fly for health concerns.</p><p>Usually, applicants will find out if they were approved in about two weeks. And once they&#39;re OK&#39;d, PreCheck status is good for five years.</p><p>If you&#39;re approved, great for you! You can speed through the TSA&#39;s security checkpoints as long as you&#39;re flying on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/airlines-airports#wcm-survey-target-id" target="_blank">one of these 16 airlines</a>&nbsp;and flying out of a participating airport. You just need to remember to add your known traveler number, or KTN, when you book your flight.</p><p><i>This video includes clips from&nbsp;</i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYc5HUA6Trk" target="_blank"><i>Transportation Security Administration</i></a><i>&nbsp;and images from&nbsp;</i><a href="https://thenounproject.com/jjaysonn/" target="_blank"><i>jayson lim / CC BY 3.0</i></a><i>&nbsp;and&nbsp;</i><a href="https://thenounproject.com/putrescer/" target="_blank"><i>Shafiqa Naazira / CC BY 3.0</i></a><i>. Music provided courtesy of APM Music.</i></p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/florida-man-demands-change-after-dog-dies-in-alligator-attack/">Florida Man Demands Change After Dog Dies In Alligator Attack</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/gun-owners-in-hawaii-will-now-be-registered-with-the-fbi/">Gun Owners In Hawaii Will Now Be Registered With The FBI</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/obama-s-monumental-move-to-honor-lgbtq-rights/">Obama&#039;s Monumental Move To Honor LGBTQ Rights</a></li></ul>