In what may be the most welcome change to airport security since the introduction of PreCheck, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has quietly ended the requirement for travelers to remove their shoes at airport checkpoints.

TSA Abolishes Shoe Removal Requirement As Summer Travel Heats Up

I first got wind of this news when my brohter flew home from Newark to Los Angeles last Thursday. Here was the text he sent me:

“Odd. TSA did not reuquire ayone to remove shoes. They were barking at poeple who were removing shoes to leave them on, as if this was obvious after 20 years of forcing everyone to keep them on. Typical TSA.”

24 years to be precise…

(Don’t ask me why he doesn’t have PreCheck…)

I didn’t think too much about it, figuing it may be a test, but it appears far more than a test, with a broader policy now in effect that excludes passegners traveling with REAL ID from the requirement of removing shoes.

At leat this is the claim of one YouTuber who claims to be a fromer TSA agent with several reliable sources who provided him this information:

While we are still waiting for offical confirmation from TSA, I’m confident that this is the case based on my brother’s experince (meaning it went into effect before today) and those of several others who have shared about thier own TSA checkpoint experinces over the last few days.

According to internal memos, the updated rule is a result of both technological advancements and a comprehensive reassessment of threat-level risks. Modern scanning equipment is now capable of detecting potential hazards without requiring passengers to remove their shoes, a perk previously reserved for TSA PreCheck lanes.

The news comes as one US Senator, Mike Lee (R-UT) continutes his crusade to abolish the TSA:

Without compromising security, hopefully this move will reduce wait times and improve the overall traveler experience.

CONCLUSION

TSA’s decision to stop requiring shoe removal is a long-overdue and sensible move. The rule was never implemented internationally, and the US has looked out of step for years. More importanlty, the rule was nver impliemneted intentionally, with the policy driven by fear rather than any rationle repsone commensurate with the threat. This change will speed up screening and reduce traveler frustration with zero cost to security.

Let’s hope this is the beginning of a larger trend. Next up: removing the liquid rule (sadly, the TSA has said that rule will remain in effect until 2040).

image: TSA