The next time you reach the front of an airport security line, there is a good chance a small camera will be pointed at your face. At a growing number of US checkpoints, the officer no longer just glances at your license and waves you through. The machine takes a live photo and compares it to the ID in your hand. What almost no one tells you, and what the signs at the podium rarely make obvious, is that this face scan is optional. You can say no, and it does not cost you your place in line or your flight.
Face matching has spread fast at US airports over the past two years, and a bipartisan group of senators now says the rollout has outrun the rules meant to keep it voluntary. Here is what the technology actually does, the simple phrase that lets you decline it, and how to weigh whether opting out is worth it for your next trip.
- What is happening: a camera at the checkpoint takes your photo and matches it to your ID before you go through screening.
- Is it mandatory: no. TSA says facial comparison is voluntary and you can ask for a standard manual ID check instead.
- What to say: tell the officer “I opt out of facial recognition” before you step up to the camera.
- Does it slow you down: no. Manual verification takes about the same time and you keep your place in line.
- The catch: the opt out signs are easy to miss, and senators say some officers make declining harder than it should be.
What the airport face scan actually does
The system at the security podium is a credential reader fitted with a camera. You hand over your ID, the machine checks that the document is real, and the camera takes a live image of your face to confirm it matches the photo on the ID. It is a one to one check, your face against your own document, rather than a search that tries to find you in a database of strangers. According to TSA’s official facial comparison technology factsheet, the agency says the live photos are not stored for most travelers and are deleted shortly after the match, outside of limited testing.
This checkpoint scan is separate from the other places a camera now meets your face when you travel. The biometric cameras at international arrivals, which Customs and Border Protection runs, work differently and are covered in our guide to mobile passport control and the arrivals hall. The airline run programs that let you board with a face scan, sometimes branded as Touchless ID or digital ID, are a third system again, explained in our piece on digital ID at the checkpoint. The security line face scan is the one this story is about, and it is the one TSA describes as optional.
Is the face scan mandatory? The short answer is no
TSA’s own position is that facial comparison is voluntary. A traveler may decline the photo and ask an officer to verify identity the way it has always been done, by looking at the ID and the person holding it. The agency states that opting out carries no penalty and should not add screening or delay. Consumer groups read the policy the same way. A plain language explainer from AARP on refusing the airport face scan notes that declining does not affect your ability to fly and that you still go through the same bag and body screening as everyone else. Opting out applies only to the face photo, not to the rest of the security process.
| Your situation | What the camera does | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Standard checkpoint | Takes a live photo to match your ID | Say you opt out, hand over your ID for a manual check |
| You already gave your ID | Officer may direct you to the camera | Say you prefer manual verification before you look up |
| International departure or exit | May involve a separate biometric step | US citizens can usually opt out, so ask the officer directly |
How to opt out, step by step
The process is quick and you do not owe anyone an explanation. As you reach the podium, before you look into the camera, tell the officer plainly that you opt out of facial recognition. Have your physical ID and boarding pass ready to hand over so the manual check is fast. The officer compares your face to your ID in person, hands the document back, and you continue to the screening lanes exactly as you would have. You do not lose your spot, and the policy says you should not be sent to a slower line or given extra screening for declining.
If you have already placed your ID on the reader when the officer points you to the camera, you can still decline. Just say you would prefer manual verification. The phrase does not have to be perfect. Anything clear, such as “no face scan please,” does the job. If an officer pushes back or tells you the scan is required, you can politely repeat that you are opting out, and you can later report the interaction to the TSA Contact Center at 1-866-289-9673. Travelers who want a tidy checkpoint overall can pair this with our rundown of what to take out of your bag at security so the only thing you are thinking about at the podium is the opt out.
Why a bipartisan group of senators is pushing back
The reason this is in the news at all is a rare left and right alliance in the Senate. A dozen senators, including Jeff Merkley, John Kennedy, Ted Cruz, Ed Markey, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, signed a letter arguing that TSA’s face scanning has grown faster than its safeguards. In a public statement laying out the case and how to opt out, the senators wrote that while TSA calls the scans optional, declining is confusing and intimidating in practice. They cited reports of officers becoming testy when asked for a manual check, and signs informing travelers of the opt out that are placed in spots most people never notice.
The senators also point to studies suggesting that very few travelers are ever told the scan is voluntary, and that face matching can be less accurate for some groups than others. Merkley has introduced a bill that would sharply limit how TSA uses biometrics, with carve outs for PreCheck and other trusted traveler programs. Airlines and airports have lined up against the bill, arguing the technology speeds up lines and improves security, a fight detailed in reporting that the travel industry opposes the Senate effort to restrict the scans. For now the rules have not changed, which means the choice at the podium is still yours.
- The rollout keeps growing: TSA has expanded face matching from a handful of airports to dozens, with plans to reach most large hubs.
- A bill is pending: the Merkley proposal could force TSA to scale back biometrics, but it has not passed and faces industry opposition.
- Signs are hard to find: if you cannot see an opt out notice, that does not mean the option is gone, so just ask.
- Kids and older travelers: there is no special process, the same simple opt out applies to everyone in your party.
- International exit is different: biometric exit for non citizens can be mandatory, so confirm your status with the officer.
Should you opt out? How to decide
This is a personal call, and there is no wrong answer. Travelers who opt out tend to do it for privacy, out of concern about how images could be used or stored later, or simply on principle because they would rather not feed a face database that is still expanding. Travelers who keep the scan usually value the small convenience and trust the agency’s word that the photo is deleted. Either way, your screening is identical, so the decision is really about comfort rather than speed.
The practical takeaway is that opting out is nearly free. It adds seconds at most, it does not threaten your flight, and it gives you a clear, repeatable way to take back one small piece of control at the airport. If you have never tried it, your next domestic trip is a low stakes place to practice the phrase. Decide before you reach the podium, keep your ID handy, and say the words before you look up. That is the entire skill.
Is TSA facial recognition mandatory?
No. TSA describes facial comparison at the security checkpoint as voluntary. You can decline the photo and ask the officer to verify your identity by checking your ID in person, the way it was always done.
Will opting out delay me or stop me from flying?
No. TSA policy says declining carries no penalty and no extra screening. Manual verification takes about the same time, you keep your place in line, and you go through the same bag and body checks as everyone else.
What exactly do I say to opt out?
Before you step up to the camera, tell the officer “I opt out of facial recognition” or simply “no face scan please.” Have your physical ID ready so the manual check is quick. You do not need to explain why.
Does the opt out apply to PreCheck and international arrivals?
The checkpoint opt out is for the standard security face scan. Trusted traveler programs and the Customs cameras at international arrivals run on separate rules, and biometric exit for non citizens can be required, so ask the officer about your specific situation.
Featured image: a Transportation Security Administration screening checkpoint at a US airport, where face matching cameras are now common. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
For broader planning, compare this update with Deep Arrival’s best airlines for long flights guide.
