When I saw it for the first time SSSS What’s printed on your boarding pass can be confusing. Would you like to receive an upgrade? We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but we’re not. SSSS is an abbreviation. Secondary security screening selection. Even if you have TSA PreCheck, Clear, and Global Entry, you will still see SSSS on your boarding pass. Read this article to learn what SSS on your boarding pass means, why it occurs, and what to do if you’re flagged.
What is SSSS?
SSSS is an abbreviation. Secondary security inspection selectionindicates that you have been selected for additional airport security screening. These checks may take the form of body searches, additional baggage checks, explosive swab tests, and more, and you’ll likely spend 15 to 45 minutes longer than expected at airport security. If you are flagged as SSSS, you will not be able to complete mobile or online check-in. Instead, you will be asked to meet check-in staff at the airport.
Why was SSSS recorded on my boarding pass?
TSSS will appear on a passenger’s boarding pass if they are selected by TSA’s Secure Flight System for enhanced security screening, TSA spokesman Michael McCarthy said. Secure Flight is a risk-based passenger pre-screening program that improves security by identifying low- and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport. Everyone enrolled in TSA PreCheck is screened by Secure Flight.
The program evaluates passengers by checking their name, date of birth, and gender against trusted traveler lists and watchlists. We are also looking for individuals on the No-Fly List (a subset of the larger terrorist watch list) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s No-Fly List (for people with serious communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis) to prevent them from boarding flights to the United States.
How to be selected for SSSS examination do not have This means you are a high-risk passenger or ended up on one of these lists. Passengers are also randomly selected. “TSA always incorporates random and unpredictable measures into its procedures that could result in a passenger receiving an SSSS designation for a single flight,” McCarthy told Afar in an email. Passengers enrolled in Trusted Traveler programs such as Global Entry or TSA PreCheck can also find SSSS printed on their boarding passes.
Although the TSA does not publicly release data on who receives SSSS on their boarding passes and why, a December 2023 U.S. Senate report based on TSA data found that “the majority of ‘SSSS’ designations in recent years have been the result of random selection.”
What if I have SSSS on my boarding pass?
If you see SSSS on your boarding pass, you will be subject to enhanced security screening. Don’t panic; this doesn’t mean you’ll miss your flight. SSSS boarding passes can only be issued at the airport. if If flagged as SSSS, mobile or online check-in will be blocked and an error message will be displayed. You need to go to the airport check-in counter to get your boarding pass. Plan to arrive at the airport 30 minutes early in case there are any issues or extended security checks. And take deep breaths to relieve anxiety. At this time, it is not possible to remove SSSS from your boarding pass.
SSSS enhanced screening occurs at a regular TSA checkpoint or another secondary area. If you obtain an SSSS boarding pass on an international flight to In the United States, you can expect enhanced security screening to take place in the immediate vicinity of the gate, in a curtained area. Enhanced security screening includes:
- Opening and inspecting carry-on baggage and personal items.
- Swabbing hands, electronic devices, and bags to detect traces of explosives.
- Advanced image processing and perhaps patdowns are common. If the additional screening will take place at a regular TSA checkpoint and you would like to do so in privacy, please let the TSA officer know.
Why is SSSS listed on my boarding pass when returning to the US?
Even with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, I’ve had the dreaded SSSS written on my boarding pass several times, but only when I’m on a plane. to America seen from abroad. All extended security screening took place in the area right by the gate. A few people were flagged, but the secondary security check was quick and efficient. In about 10 minutes, my electronic devices (laptop, Kindle, phone) were swabbed and my luggage was searched.
Thanks to TSA’s Silent Partner Program, travelers returning to the United States can be flagged for SSSS. According to a June 2025 Department of Homeland Security report, this would “enable TSA to identify passengers for enhanced screening on international flights” bound for the United States. The report does not elaborate on how these passengers will be identified, only saying that “TSA will develop rules based on current information to identify passengers for enhanced screening.” The report adds that there is also a “protocol to randomly select individuals for enhanced screening.”
What should I do if I keep getting SSSS on my boarding pass?
SSSS may be printed on your boarding pass randomly. It can only happen once and never again. However, if you see SSSS printed multiple times on your boarding pass, apply to the Department of Homeland Security’s Traveler Relief Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) to obtain a relief number. This is a unique seven-digit identifier that you can use to verify your identity when booking a flight. There is no cost to obtain a relief number, but applicants have reported that it can take up to two months for their relief number to be processed.
The relief number is do not have Known traveler number. Assigned to those enrolled in TSA PreCheck. According to the TSA’s website, “The DHS Traveler Relief Referral Program can provide solutions for travelers who are having difficulty passing through security checks and inspections at airport checkpoints, train stations, and when crossing U.S. borders.”
This article was originally published in 2023 and last updated on May 28, 2026. Rosalie Tinelli, Bailey Berg and Matt Villano contributed reporting to this article.