The TSA PreCheck Name Update Guide I Wish I Had (IDEMIA Edition)

✈️ How to Update Your TSA PreCheck Name After Getting Married (if You Enrolled with IDEMIA)

If you’re anything like me and my husband, you live for that sweet, sweet TSA PreCheck lane. So you can imagine our heartbreak when, on a recent trip through Austin airport, we were told I couldn’t use it—because I hadn’t updated my PreCheck info after changing my last name (ya girl got married last year!).

I could write an entire blog about all the other places you have to update your name after getting married (Social Security, driver’s license, passport, Costco membership...the list is rude)—but that’s a rant for another day.

Today, I’m writing to the version of me from 24 hours ago: confused, mildly annoyed, and clicking dead links trying to figure out how to update my TSA info. The official instructions weren’t working, and I kept getting mixed answers.

So if you enrolled through IDEMIA (one of the main TSA PreCheck providers), here’s the step-by-step I wish I’d had. Once I found the right info, it was actually pretty simple:

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How to Update Your TSA PreCheck Name (if you used IDEMIA)

1. Call 855-347-8371 (8am–10pm ET, 7 days a week)

   Let them know you need to update your name. They'll ask for your name, date of birth, and maybe a few other identifiers to pull up your file. This took me about 10 minutes.

   
   

2. Email TSAEnrollmentDocuments@tsa.dhs.gov

   Include the following in your email:

   • Your KTN (Known Traveler Number)

   • Your new full name (first, middle, last)

   • A photo of your updated government-issued ID

   • A copy of your marriage certificate (if your name changed due to marriage)

   ⚠️ If your name change wasn't marriage-related, they may require different documents—double-check this when you're on the phone.

   Here is a template of the email I sent when I did this step:
   

   Subject: Name Change – TSA PreCheck (KTN: [Your KTN Here])

   Message: Hello, Please see the attached documents to verify my legal name change. KTN#: [Insert your KTN here] New Name: First Name: [Your first name] Middle Name: [Your middle name, if any] Last Name: [Your new last name] If any other documents are needed, please let me know. Thank you, [Your Full Name]

   [Your Phone Number]

   
   

3. Set a reminder and wait it out

   I was told the update could take up to 45 days. I set a reminder to check in after 30 days (I’ll probably call back just to confirm the status).

   
   

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That’s it! Hopefully this helps at least one other newlywed out there avoid the same travel hiccup. And if that person is you—congrats on your marriage! 🥂

Till next time,

Jackie Howell