Fayetteville Regional Airport is hosting a short TSA PreCheck enrollment window later this month, giving Sandhills and I-95 corridor travelers a local path to a Known Traveler Number without driving to a permanent enrollment center.
The City of Fayetteville airport page lists the pop-up for August 25 to 28, 2026, Tuesday through Friday, with morning and afternoon appointment blocks. Travelers still must pre-enroll online with IDEMIA and bring identity and citizenship documents to the airport appointment.
- Where: Fayetteville Regional Airport (FAY), Fayetteville, N.C.
- When: August 25 to 28, 2026, Tuesday to Friday.
- Hours: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
- Partner: IDEMIA enrollment with online pre-enroll first.
- Fee: $76.75 for five years if approved.
What Fayetteville and TSA partners confirmed
The official Fayetteville Regional Airport TSA PreCheck enrollment page states that FAY and IDEMIA are hosting the event so travelers can complete the less than 10-minute in-person step that captures fingerprints and a photo for the TSA background check. Online pre-enrollment and appointment scheduling run through the TSA enrollment system operated by IDEMIA.
Airport materials direct applicants to select the Fayetteville, N.C. pop-up for August 25 to 28 when scheduling. The same city page says most travelers receive a Known Traveler Number in three to five days after the appointment. The program remains open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, which matches the broader TSA PreCheck eligibility frame on the official program site.
The $76.75 fee covers five years of participation if the application is approved. That cost is the standard enrollment price listed on the Fayetteville page for this event, not a special local surcharge. Kids 17 and under can still accompany enrolled parents or guardians in PreCheck lanes for free once the adult is approved, which matters for family trips that leave through larger connecting airports after a FAY start.
How to use the August window without wasting a trip
Treat the calendar as a hard local capacity window, not a soft marketing week. Pre-enroll first, then book a specific slot inside the published hours. Arriving without an appointment or without the required documents is the usual failure mode at pop-up centers because staff cannot finish the biometrics step without identity and citizenship proof.
Bring the documents listed in the IDEMIA required-documents workflow linked from the city page. Expect a short airport visit if paperwork is complete, then wait for the KTN by email before your next itinerary. Add the KTN to airline profiles and reservation records as soon as it arrives so the boarding pass can print with the PreCheck indicator.
PreCheck is not a substitute for packing discipline. Even after approval, travelers still face standard prohibited-item rules. Deep Arrival guides on TSA electronics rules and bringing a laptop through screening remain useful for the first PreCheck trip, when many passengers forget which items stay in the bag. Shoes, belts, and light jackets usually stay on in PreCheck lanes, which is why a related primer on belts, clothes, and shoes at the checkpoint still helps first-time members set expectations.
FAY is a regional airport, so many travelers will use PreCheck mainly on the next connection out of Charlotte, Atlanta, or another hub. Enrolling at the home airport still works because the KTN is national. The local win is avoiding a separate drive to a permanent enrollment office when the pop-up is already on the calendar.
Who should act this week
Priority one is anyone flying in September or October who still lacks a KTN and can reach Fayetteville during weekday daytime hours. Priority two is military families and contractors around Fort Liberty who cycle through commercial airports often enough to repay the five-year fee. Priority three is leisure travelers who already know they will make multiple U.S. trips before 2031 and want the lane benefit before holiday peak periods.
Skip the rush only if you already hold Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI with PreCheck benefits attached, or if your next U.S. flights are many months away and a permanent enrollment center is easier later. Even then, a free local pop-up can still beat a distant permanent appointment if August 25 to 28 is open on your calendar.
What PreCheck changes at the checkpoint
TSA PreCheck is built for travelers the agency has already screened as lower risk. Approved members use dedicated lanes at more than 200 U.S. airports, and most PreCheck passengers wait less than five minutes according to the Fayetteville event materials. Shoes, belts, light jackets, laptops, and 3-1-1 liquids usually stay in place in those lanes, which is the practical payoff that makes a five-year fee worth calculating against your calendar.
The benefit is national once the Known Traveler Number is live. Enrolling at FAY does not limit the KTN to North Carolina flights. A traveler who starts in Fayetteville and connects in Charlotte still carries the same PreCheck marker on later domestic segments as long as the airline reservation includes the number.
PreCheck is not Global Entry. Global Entry adds trusted-traveler processing for U.S. customs reentry and usually includes PreCheck as a side benefit. Travelers who only need domestic checkpoint speed can stop at PreCheck. Travelers who also clear international reentry often compare the higher Global Entry fee and interview path before choosing a pop-up PreCheck slot.
Documents, timing, and failure modes
The in-person step is short only when paperwork is complete. IDEMIA lists the identity and citizenship documents required for the appointment, and the city page links that workflow directly. Passports, permanent resident cards, and other accepted combinations must match the name on the online application. Name mismatches and missing citizenship proof are the common reasons an appointment turns into a reschedule.
Plan arrival with airport parking and security geometry in mind. FAY is smaller than a major hub, but pop-up desks can still create a short queue at the top of a session block. Aim for the start of your booked window rather than the final minutes of the afternoon block on August 28, when walk-up overflow is least likely to be absorbed.
After approval, the KTN is only useful if airlines can see it. Add the number in airline profiles, corporate travel tools, and any family member bookings you manage. If a boarding pass lacks the PreCheck indicator, fix the passenger record before airport day instead of arguing at the standard lane.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Live near Fayetteville and lack a KTN | Pre-enroll online now and book a FAY pop-up slot for August 25 to 28. |
| Already have Global Entry with PreCheck | Skip this event unless you need a document refresh for another reason. |
| Fly only once in the next five years | Weigh the $76.75 fee against time saved before paying. |
| Need a KTN before September trips | Use the earliest open slot and add the number to airline profiles immediately. |
| Cannot make weekday daytime hours | Use the IDEMIA map for a permanent center instead of this pop-up. |
- Deadline: In-person slots end August 28, 2026, for this FAY pop-up.
- Prep: Online application and appointment come before the airport visit.
- Documents: Bring identity and citizenship proof listed by IDEMIA.
- After approval: Store the KTN in airline profiles before the next booking.
- Family trips: Children 17 and under can use PreCheck lanes with enrolled adults.
Pop-up enrollment does not change airline baggage rules or checkpoint prohibited lists. It only changes the screening lane and the items you usually leave on once the KTN is active on the boarding pass.
When is the Fayetteville TSA PreCheck enrollment event?
August 25 to 28, 2026, Tuesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Fayetteville Regional Airport.
Do I still need an online application?
Yes. Pre-enroll and schedule through the TSA IDEMIA enrollment system before arriving for fingerprints and a photo.
How much does enrollment cost?
The Fayetteville page lists a $76.75 application fee covering five years of PreCheck participation if approved.
How fast is the Known Traveler Number?
Most travelers receive a KTN in three to five days after the in-person appointment, according to the airport page.
Who is eligible?
TSA PreCheck is open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who complete enrollment and pass the background check.
