You Can Sign up for TSA PreCheck at Staples.

I’ve been TSA PreChecked for years and have no regrets. The fee is only $15 a year, and every time I’ve flown and experienced shorter security lines, I’ve been glad I signed up. The only real problem was that I had to spend several hours a day traveling to the airport for an in-person interview. But it turns out that this isn’t a required part of the process: You can actually sign up for Precheck at a variety of locations outside the airport, including some Staples stores.

Benefits of Pre-Check

TSA Precheck is the simplest and cheapest of the airport security programs, but if you want to decide for yourself, we have a comparison here . If you travel internationally frequently, you may want to consider Global Entry instead, which costs a little more and includes pre-screening privileges.

There is another popular program called CLEAR, but it’s more expensive, has longer lines lately, and doesn’t even let you into the pre-check lane unless you also pay for pre-check. Here’s the difference:

• Without any security programs, you wait in a line (sometimes long), then go through a security line where you have to take off your shoes and jacket, take out a bag of liquids and a laptop.
• With CLEAR, you use biometric identification kiosks and are then moved to the front of the line to go through the same security lane as above. While CLEAR allows you to skip the TSA line wait, it can have its own line.
• With TSA PreCheck, you wait in a (usually shorter) line and then go through a streamlined security screening process. You can leave your shoes and jacket on and keep your laptop and liquids in your bag.
• If you have both CLEAR and PreCheck, you go through a biometric identification kiosk and then go to the front of the PreCheck line to go through a streamlined screening process. (You must pay for both subscriptions.)

While Precheck’s shorter line is a plus, it’s the streamlined security screening that really speeds you up when it’s time to go through security: You drop your bag on the conveyor belt, go through the scanner, and then pick up your bag and… you’re on your way. I’ve never found lines to be long enough for using the CLEAR kiosk to make a difference, but this may vary from airport to airport.

How to Sign Up for TSA PreCheck Without Traveling to the Airport (Including Select Staples Stores)

Companies like IDEMIA and TELOS operate TSA Precheck check-in centers, and many of them are located in locations more convenient than airports. TSA has a search tool that allows you to enter your zip code and find TSA Enrollment Centers near you.

Some of IDEMIA’s offices are inside Staples stores, and here you can find a Staples store offering TSA PreCheck registration . However, these locations will still show up in the main TSA search, so I would recommend just using the TSA website. (Unfortunately, you can’t register at every Staples, so be sure to check to see if they have a registration center before you go.)

To apply for PreCheck, you fill out an online form and then make an appointment at one of these enrollment centers—at the airport, Staples, or a separate location. Expect to be fingerprinted and photographed, and make sure you fill out the form so that your name appears the same as it does on the ID you will use during the flight. (This is a warning for those of you who aren’t sure whether you’re putting in your middle name or just your initial.) Luckily, when it comes time to renew your subscription after five years, you can do so entirely online .