What Is a Redress Number And Do You Need It?
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Summary:
A redress number is a unique seven-digit identifier that helps the TSA verify travelers’ identities and keeps them from being misidentified. Most people don’t need a redress number, but if you have the misfortune of sharing the same name as someone on the U.S. watch list, you probably should apply for one. You can apply for a redress number by filling out a Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program request through a form online. Once you have a redress number, you can add it to your frequent flyer profile on the website of your chosen airline so that it will automatically be added to future flight reservations.
Airport security is a frustrating and time-consuming, even when things are going smoothly. But when there are delays, it can just about send you over the edge. Security personnel workers are there to keep us safe, but if you’re constantly flagged for additional screening, it can feel as though their only purpose is to make you miss your flight.
Imagine you experienced security delays every time you went to the airport, getting pulled for secondary screenings and questioning by authorities. Unfortunately, for some people that’s a reality they encounter every time they go through security because they happen to share the same name as someone on the U.S. watch list. Due to this, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) created a redress number program, which passengers can use to help them avoid unnecessary screenings.
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What is a redress number?
A redress number is a unique seven-digit identifier issued by the TSA that helps to verify a traveler’s identity and prevents them from being misidentified. A redress number can also assist the TSA in identifying individuals who require additional screening.
What does redress mean?
Technically, redress means to set right, rectify, or remedy. In the context of air travel, redress refers to a traveler’s ability to clarify their identity to the TSA. This improves their security checkpoint experience at airports and ports of entry, and they do not have to deal with issues stemming from misidentification.
Redress Control Number
A Redress Control Number (the official name for a redress number) is a case number that refers to a passenger’s application for redress through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP). The TRIP helps travelers clarify their identity with the TSA if they experience issues with being misidentified as a potential threat.
A redress number allows the TSA’s Secure Flight program to match travelers with the results of their redress case and transmit screening instructions back to the airlines. You may not even realize you are subject to Secure Flight when you fly. Here’s how the TSA describes it:
Secure Flight is a risk-based passenger prescreening program that enhances security by identifying low- and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport by matching their names against trusted traveler lists and watchlists. Secure Flight also prevents individuals on the No Fly List and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Do Not Board List from boarding an aircraft.
If your redress case was resolved favorably, Secure Flight should tell the airlines that you do not need to undergo extra screenings.
Do I need a redress number?
Most people don’t need a redress number. However, you should probably consider getting one if you are consistently pulled from the normal TSA security line for additional screenings.
One of the most common reasons for getting a redress number is that you’ve been subjected to a secondary screening on multiple occasions. You might also need a redress number if you meet one of the following criteria:
- You were not able to print a boarding pass online
- You had issues getting a boarding pass from the ticket kiosk
- You were denied boarding or your boarding process was delayed
- You are on the no-fly list
- You were denied entry back into the U.S.
- You were told your fingerprints were incorrect or of poor quality
Pro Tip
If it’s an isolated event, you likely do not need a redress number. The above issues should be happening on a consistent basis before you seek one out.
How do I get a redress number?
You can apply for a redress number by submitting an inquiry to the DHS TRIP. This program can help with providing a resolution for passengers who believe they are being incorrectly identified as a potential travel threat.
If you want to file a DHS TRIP inquiry, you must visit the DHS website and complete a form online. The form requires you to provide some information about the travel experience or experiences where you’ve had issues. You will also submit personal information and documentation regarding your identity, including a government-issued photo ID. Social Security cards and personal financial documents are not acceptable forms of identification.
After you’ve submitted the form, you will be given a Redress Control Number. This will be provided to you regardless of how the inquiry is resolved. You can use your redress number to track the status of your redress inquiry.
Alternatively, you can mail the applications to the address below, but it will probably increase the processing time of your redress number.
DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP)
601 South 12th Street, TSA-901
Arlington, VA 20598-6901
601 South 12th Street, TSA-901
Arlington, VA 20598-6901
Pro Tip
For expedited service, you can send all your necessary documents to the DHS TRIP via email. They suggest that you send separate e-mails with attachments using the same subject line if your attachments exceed 10 MB.
How long does it take to get a redress number?
After DHS TRIP receives and verifies your application and documentation, they will process your request. The minimum length of a review of a request for redress is 30 business days, depending on the nature of the request.
However, the processing time can be much shorter, and some are able to get their requests approved in as little as a week. That said, delays have sometimes caused requests to take up to 50 days.
How can I use a redress number?
When you go to make a flight reservation, you should see a field to enter your redress number, typically close to the field for your Known Traveler Number. You can also add your redress number to your frequent flyer profile on the website of your chosen airline.
What is the difference between a redress number and a Known Traveler Number?
While a redress number is a unique seven-digit number used to help verify a traveler’s identity, a Known Traveler Number (KTN) is a nine-digit number. It is used to link your TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, SENTRI, and other benefit enrollment programs to your travel itinerary.
The only relationship between a KTN and a redress number is that if you need a redress number and don’t have one, your KTN benefits, including TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, might be affected.
That said, once you have a redress number, you are still able to use your TSA PreCheck and Global Entry benefits.
How do I add my redress number to my flight or travel profile?
You must add your redress control number to your flight or travel profile. This allows the redress control number to be automatically added to your reservation and included on boarding passes for future flights.
For existing reservations that were made prior to a redress number being issued, it may be necessary to contact the airline to have it added to the reservation.
Will I be stopped for additional screening if I have a redress control number?
There is a chance you will be required to undergo additional security screening if you have a redress control number. Although the DHS TRIP program is designed to remove inconsistencies between a traveler’s identity within the Secure Flight program, it is still possible that travelers with redress control numbers may occasionally be subjected to secondary screening.
Pro Tip
You may want to look into travel insurance for your trip. Check out SuperMoney’s guide to travel credit cards to help you earn rewards while you travel.
FAQ
What does a redress number look like?
A redress number is a seven-digit number issued by the TSA to help verify a traveler’s identity and prevent them from being misidentified.
Is TSA PreCheck the same as a redress number?
No, TSA PreCheck is not the same as a redress number. TSA PreCheck is a separate traveler program designed to expedite the security screening process for known travelers and is unaffiliated with the redress number program.
Do you need a redress number?
Most travelers do not need a redress number. They are typically only necessary for travelers who are consistently pulled from the normal TSA security line to undergo additional screenings.
Additional situations where you may need a redress number include:
- not being able to print a boarding pass online
- being on the no-fly list
- being denied boarding
- your boarding process was delayed
Is there any relation between a redress number passport and a passport redress number?
You cannot find a redress number on a passport, as the redress number program and the passport program are unrelated. A redress number is a seven-digit case number issued by the TSA that helps identify travelers who’ve been misidentified and subjected to additional unnecessary screening. A redress number will never show up on a passport.
Key takeaways
- A redress number is a unique seven-digit identifier issued by the Transportation Security Administration that helps to verify a traveler’s identity and prevents them from being misidentified.
- A redress control number is a case number that refers to a passenger’s application for redress through the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP).
- Most travelers don’t need a redress number. Some of the most common reasons for needing a redress number include not being able to print a boarding pass online, being on the no-fly list, and being denied boarding.
- The minimum length of time to review a request for a redress number is 30 business days, depending on the nature of the request. However, it can take anywhere from a week to as long as 50 days.
- You can apply for a redress number by submitting an inquiry to the DHS TRIP through their online form.
- A Known Traveler Number is a nine-digit number used to link your TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, SENTRI, and other benefit enrollment programs to your travel itinerary. It is not associated with a redress number.
- A redress number will never appear on a passport and is unrelated to the passport program.
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