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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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TSA PreCheck popular with Spokane fliers

By Mike Prager mikeprager15@gmail.com(509) 459-5454

More than 3,700 Inland Northwest residents have been accepted for the speed lane at airport screening stations.

The Transportation Security Administration has opened a new enrollment office at Spokane International Airport, making it the second in the Spokane area. The other is in Spokane Valley.

The airport office is in the corridor next to the luggage carousels for Concourse C in room 204.

Travelers can go to the enrollment center to show proof of identity and to be fingerprinted for a background check.

Passengers who pass the check will get a Known Traveler Number, which allows access to TSA’s PreCheck lines at airports around the country,

The cost of enrollment is $85 and is good for five years.

Known travelers can skip taking off their shoes, belts, and light sweaters or jackets when going through airport security. At some airports, people in the PreCheck line also can leave their laptop in its case and liquids or gels in a carry-on.

Airport CEO Larry Krauter said that opening the TSA enrollment office is the latest step in improving passenger services at the airport.

Free Wi-Fi, free baggage carts, rocking chairs, a cellphone waiting lot and a free parking garage car wash are among the improvements under Krauter.

The TSA enrollment office was quietly opened last October. Officials on Thursday held a media availability session to get the word out to the wider public. That office has had about 650 successful sign ups.

To enroll in TSA’s PreCheck, it’s a good idea to go online to start the application at universalenroll.dhs.gov, officials said.

The acceptable forms of identity can be found at tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/required-documentation.

The airport enrollment office is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 11 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also, the airport office is open on Fridays from 8 to 11 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Spokane Valley office is at 9116 E. Sprague Ave. inside the Mail Box Center near Argonne Road. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.