TSA Rolls Out ‘Gateside’ to Let Non‑Travelers Walk Through Security

In a move that feels a bit like opening a back‑door for friends and family, the Transportation Security Administration announced a pilot called Gateside by TSA PreCheck. For the first time since 2001, people who aren’t actually boarding a plane can stroll past the metal detectors and into the gate‑area of participating airports – as long as they’re already enrolled in TSA PreCheck.

What can you actually do with this? The idea is simple: meet a loved one at the gate, grab a bite at a restaurant, shop a little, or simply accompany someone during a layover. It’s a modest perk, but for many it turns an airport from a sterile transit zone into a more welcoming space.

Right now the pilot is limited to 13 airports across the country. Those include big hubs like Los Angeles International (LAX), Dallas‑Fort Worth (DFW), Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International (LAS) and San Diego (SAN). Smaller but still busy fields such as Phoenix‑Mesa Gateway, John Glenn Columbus, Detroit Metropolitan, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower, Indianapolis, Bill and Hillary Clinton National, Will Rogers, Eppley Airfield and Salt Lake City are also on the list.

How does a traveler get in? First, you need to already be a TSA PreCheck member and have a Known Traveler Number (KTN). Then you apply online for a Gateside pass anywhere from one to three days before you plan to be at the airport. The pass itself costs nothing and is good for just the approved visit.

When you arrive, you still go through a TSA PreCheck lane, showing the pass plus a government‑issued ID. If you don’t have an acceptable ID, TSA offers a ConfirmID service for a $45 fee to verify who you are. Children can join the program too, but they must be added to a parent or guardian’s application.

It’s worth noting that Gateside is still being evaluated. The TSA says they’ll watch how it works and may add more airports later this year. The rollout comes alongside other experiments, like self‑service ID kiosks that have been trialed at LAX, Charlotte Douglas and Ronald Reagan Washington National.

For anyone who’s ever felt stuck on the tarmac watching a loved one walk away, Gateside feels like a small, human‑focused tweak to a system that’s usually all about security lines and boarding passes. Whether it sticks around will depend on how smoothly it meshes with the broader security picture, but for now it’s a welcome slice of convenience.