23 / TWIC AND SECURE-AREA ACCESS
TWIC and secure-area access
TWIC is a personnel-security credential, not a substitute for port requirements on vehicles, carriers or the job itself. A first container pickup illustrates enrollment, card validity and facility-access checks.
TWIC is a personnel-security credential, not a substitute for port requirements on vehicles, carriers or the job itself. A first container pickup illustrates enrollment, card validity and facility-access checks.
Drivers and workers needing access to applicable maritime-facility or vessel secure areas; confirm unescorted-access needs and local arrangements with the facility and applicable rules.
Start with these requirements
TSA determines eligibility; payment is not approval
- What the rule requires
- TSA conducts the security-threat assessment and issues TWIC. Citizens and applicants in eligible immigration categories may apply. Incomplete or false information and disqualifying offenses or other factors can affect eligibility. An appointment or payment does not mean approval.
The Transportation Worker Identification Credential, also known as TWIC®, is required by the Maritime Transportation Security Act for workers who need access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime facilities and vessels. TSA conducts a security threat assessment (background check) to determine a person’s eligibility and issues the credential. U.S. citizens and immigrants in certain immigration categories may apply for the credential. Most mariners licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard also require a credential. Regarding card usage and facility access requirements, please contact the U.S. Coast Guard.
You may apply if you are a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, naturalized citizen or a nonimmigrant alien, asylee, or refugee who is in lawful status.
Applicants may be ineligible due to:
Incomplete or false application information. Disqualifying criminal offenses and other factors.
Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.
Apply for TWIC ahead of time and prepare documents from the TSA list
- What the rule requires
- TSA’s current program page recommends enrolling, including renewal, at least sixty days ahead and notes some cases may take over forty-five days. These are planning guidance and processing notices, not guaranteed issuance deadlines. Follow official enrollment and acceptable-document lists for documentation, fingerprints and photos; check fees at application time.
Important Notice: TSA recommends that all applicants enroll for TWIC® (including renewals) a minimum of 60 days before applicants require a valid TWIC. TSA is experiencing increased demand for TWIC, and the processing times for some applicants may exceed 45 days.
Pre-enroll using the online application or you can complete the entire process in person at an application center.
Visit a TWIC application center to:
Provide required documentation, be fingerprinted and take a facial photo. Bring your current U.S. passport or a driver’s license and birth certificate. See other acceptable documents. Pay a non-refundable fee valid for five years with a credit card, money order, company check or certified/cashier’s check.New applicant: $124.00 New applicant reduced rate: $93.00* In-Person renewal: $124.00 Online renewal: $116.00 Replacement card: $60.00 You can have your card mailed to your home address or you can pick it up at the application center. You can check your status online at any time.
Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.
An invalid TWIC card does not establish an adverse background finding
- What the rule requires
- TSA’s canceled-card lists support credential-validity checks and also include cards replaced after loss, theft or damage. Listing establishes card invalidity, not an adverse finding about the holder. Separately confirm facility, vehicle and carrier requirements before the trip.
When TSA decides to revoke a TWIC® card, the agency informs facility security officials via the TWIC® Canceled Card List and the Visual Canceled Card List. The two lists are publicly available (including only Federal Agency Smartcard Numbers (FASC-Ns) or Credential Identification Numbers (CINs); no personally identifiable information) and updated daily to display TWIC® cards that have been canceled, allowing facility and vessel operators to determine whether a presented TWIC® card is valid.
The presence of a TWIC® card on the Canceled Card List and/or Visual Canceled Card List cannot be used to infer derogatory information about the cardholder; it simply indicates the card is no longer valid. While the two lists include cards that are revoked after recurrent vetting, the lists also include cards that have been replaced because they are lost, stolen or damaged. TWIC® cards that are canceled cannot be removed from the two lists, and canceled cards should be returned to TSA.
Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.
WORKED EXAMPLE
TWIC in hand—automatic entry on the first visit?
Illustrative example: a driver holds TWIC and is assigned a first port pickup before terminal requirements are confirmed.
Check the credential
Confirm the credential is valid and follow facility identity and reader procedures; do not use a replaced old card.
Check the job and vehicle
Confirm the access arrangement, vehicle and carrier requirements with the facility and dispatch; TWIC is not a pass for every part of the operation.
Check personnel credentials, vehicle conditions and terminal job arrangements separately before relying on access.
Common mistakes in day-to-day work
Misconception: a canceled card proves wrongdoing
TSA explicitly says canceled-card lists cannot be used to infer derogatory information about a holder; replacement after loss and similar events also cancels old cards.
Full text and sources
OFFICIAL GUIDANCE · ENGLISH
TWIC®
TWIC®
- Source edition date
- Not provided
- Captured
Edition noteOfficial-source snapshot; current consolidated law and subsequent amendments have not been verified.
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Drafted from linked official texts and agency guidance. Both language interpretations are CTAC AI-assisted drafts pending human review; examples are illustrative, not member records. Capture dates are not legal effective dates.