TSA, CLEAR rolling out biometric eGates at 3 U.S. airports ahead of broader deployment

The Transportation Security Administration has partnered with identity verification company CLEAR to deploy new biometric electronic gates, with the initiative billed as an enhanced security measure ahead of the U.S. hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

TSA said on Tuesday that the advanced eGates have already rolled out at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and are slated to be deployed at Ronald Reagan National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport before the end of the month as part of an initial pilot phase. Access to the biometric eGates will be an opt-in feature for CLEAR Plus members. 

CLEAR said the eGates will biometrically verify individuals by “matching a traveler’s facial image with their identity document and boarding pass.” The company added that it believes the new screening tech will enhance the airport security experience ahead of next year’s World Cup, when an estimated 20 million-plus visitors are expected to travel to the U.S.

“CLEAR transmits only limited data (live photo, boarding pass, ID photo used for enrollment and identity information) — it has no access to watchlists, cannot override TSA gate decisions, and does not manually open gates,” the company said. “Once identity and clearance are confirmed, passengers proceed directly to physical screening, bypassing the TSA podium while still undergoing all security screening.”

TSA added that CLEAR is piloting the new eGates at no cost to taxpayers. 

“TSA’s public-private partnership with CLEAR on eGates is just one example of how we are working with stakeholders both inside and outside of government to improve hospitality and security for the American traveler,” TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said in a statement. 

The rollout of the eGates comes after TSA issued a request for information last month seeking industry input on ways that it can “leverage innovative technology” to improve the security screening experience.

The agency has also been increasingly relying on biometrics to verify the identities of travelers, with TSA moving to deploy facial recognition verification technology at more than 400 airports in the coming years. 

The growing use of biometrics has led to some bipartisan pushback, with a group of federal lawmakers calling last November for the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general to review TSA’s deployment of facial recognition tools. DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari said earlier this year that his office would audit TSA’s use of the technology.