Clear Airport Application: Steps To A Seamless Process

Clear is a service that allows individuals to identify themselves in seconds using biometric data. It is currently available at 74 airports and 17 arenas and stadiums in the US. While Clear is free to use at stadiums, arenas, and car rental services, you must pay for the upgraded Clear Plus membership to bypass the usual ID check at airport security. Clear Plus members can use their fingerprints, eyes, or face to verify their identity at a Clear Pod, and a Clear Ambassador will then bring them to the front of the security screening line. Clear Plus costs $199 per year, and members can add up to three additional family members or friends to their account for $119 more per person per year. Those under 18 can enter the Clear lane for free if accompanied by a Clear member. Clear Plus can be bundled with TSA PreCheck, which allows travellers to go through a shorter security line and bypass certain screening requirements, for a total of $199.

Enrol online or at the airport

Enrolling in CLEAR Plus can be done online or at the airport. The online application is short and requires basic information, such as your name, email, and zip code. You will still need to finish the process at an airport, where a CLEAR Ambassador will verify your identification document and take your biometrics, including fingerprints, a headshot, and an eye scan.

If you enrol in person at the airport, a CLEAR Ambassador will verify your identity with your face, eyes, and fingerprints. You can enrol at any CLEAR airport location, and no appointment is necessary. However, remember to bring your government-issued ID.

CLEAR Plus is available to US citizens and legal permanent residents aged 18 and older with a valid government-issued photo ID. It costs $189 annually, but prices may vary depending on your SkyMiles status.

CLEAR Plus is an annual membership that offers expedited entry at airport security in select airports. It uses biometrics, such as your eyes and face, to replace your ID, allowing you to bypass the ID check and get through security faster.

Verify your identity

To verify your identity when applying for CLEAR, you must be a US citizen or legal permanent resident, and be 18 or older. You will also need a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a US driver's license or a US-issued permanent resident card.

You can sign up for CLEAR online or in person at the airport. If you enrol online, you will need to finish the process at an airport. The online application requires basic information, such as your name, email, and zip code.

When you apply in person, a CLEAR ambassador will verify your identification document before taking your biometrics, including fingerprints, a headshot, and an eye scan. If you start your enrolment online, you will still complete the biometrics step at the airport with an ambassador.

CLEAR uses biometrics as an identification tool. Your identity is confirmed at a kiosk using your eyes or fingerprints, which allows you to skip the document verification line during the security process. Once your identity has been confirmed, you can go straight to the security screening.

Biometric identification

CLEAR is available at over 55 airports and members can move through security faster using the CLEAR Lane. Family members under 18 can join the member in the CLEAR Lane for free.

CLEAR Plus is an annual membership that offers expedited entry at airport security in select airports. Members can use their face, eyes, or fingers to verify their identity at airport security. CLEAR Plus is currently only available to US citizens and legal permanent residents aged 18 and older with a valid government-issued photo ID.

To enrol in CLEAR, you can sign up online or in person at an airport. If you enrol online, you will need to finish the process at an airport. The online application requires basic information such as your name, email, and zip code. When applying in person, a CLEAR ambassador will verify your identification document and take your biometrics, including fingerprints, a headshot, and an eye scan.

Membership costs and discounts

Clear Plus membership costs $199 per year. This allows you to bypass the usual ID check at airport security, using biometric scanning technology to verify your identity. You can also add up to three additional family members or friends to your membership for $119 more per person per year. Children under 18 can enter the Clear lane for free if they are travelling with a Clear member.

There are a number of ways to save money on Clear Plus membership. Firstly, Clear offers a two-month free trial for new members. You can also ask a friend or family member with a Clear Plus membership if you can use their guest pass, which is a free trial offered on a seasonal basis.

Secondly, some credit cards offer cardholders a free Clear membership as a perk. The following cards will reimburse you for up to $199 per year in Clear Plus membership costs:

• American Express Green Card
• The Platinum Card from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card from American Express
• The Centurion Card from American Express

Thirdly, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines frequent flyers can get Clear Plus at a discounted rate or for free. Delta Diamond Medallion members and United Premier 1K members can get Clear Plus for free. Delta Platinum Medallion, Gold Medallion and Silver Medallion members, plus United Premier Platinum, Premier Gold and Premier Silver members, can pay a reduced rate of $159. All other Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members get a discounted membership of $189.

Finally, Clear Plus can be bundled with TSA PreCheck membership. TSA PreCheck costs $77.95 for five years, but when bundled with Clear Plus, the whole package costs $199, with Clear Plus membership only lasting one year.

Available locations

CLEAR is available at over 55 airports, with access to 100+ CLEAR lanes at 58 airports nationwide. The service is only available to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents over the age of 18 with a valid government-issued photo ID.

You can find CLEAR at the following airports:

• Atlanta: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
• Austin: Austin–Bergstrom International Airport.
• Baltimore: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
• Birmingham: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.
• Boise: Boise Airport.
• Boston: Boston Logan International Airport.
• Chicago: O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport.
• Cincinnati: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
• Cleveland: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
• Columbus: John Glenn Columbus International Airport.
• Dallas: Dallas Love Field Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
• Denver: Denver International Airport.
• Detroit: Detroit Metro Airport.
• Fort Lauderdale: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
• Greenville: Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.
• Houston: William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
• Las Vegas: Harry Reid International Airport.
• Long Beach: Long Beach Airport.
• Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport and Long Beach Airport.
• Ontario: Ontario International Airport.
• Miami: Miami International Airport.
• Milwaukee: Milwaukee Mitchell Airport.
• Minneapolis: Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport.
• Nashville: Nashville International Airport.
• New Orleans: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
• New York / New Jersey: LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Westchester County Airport.
• Oklahoma City: Will Rogers World Airport.
• Orlando: Orlando International Airport.
• Palm Beach: Palm Beach International Airport.
• Palm Springs: Palm Springs International Airport.
• Phoenix: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
• Puerto Rico: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
• Raleigh-Durham: Raleigh–Durham International Airport.
• Sacramento: Sacramento International Airport.
• Salt Lake City: Salt Lake City International Airport.
• San Antonio: San Antonio International Airport.
• San Diego: San Diego International Airport.
• San Francisco / Bay Area: San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport.
• San Juan: Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.
• Seattle: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
• St. Louis: St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
• Washington, D.C.: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport.

Frequently asked questions