ATL Security Checkpoints: Hours, PreCheck and CLEAR

Your best source is free and official: atl.com/times. It shows live waits for five checkpoints: Main, North, Lower North, South and International Main. South is labeled PreCheck only.

Each wait comes with a label: Low is 0 to 15 minutes, Moderate 16 to 30, Busy 31 to 45, Very Busy 46 to 60 and Extended means more than an hour.

We don't print wait times on this page on purpose. They swing all day, and a number from this morning is wrong by lunch. Check the page right before you leave for the airport.

The MyTSA app is handy for planning ahead, but it shows how busy an airport usually is on a given day and time, based on past data. It is not a live measurement.

The Domestic Terminal has four checkpoints and the International Terminal has one. Official hours:

• Domestic Main: standard screening, open 24 hours.
• Domestic North: standard and priority screening, 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Domestic Lower North: standard screening plus a CLEAR lane, 3:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Domestic South: PreCheck only, with PreCheck Touchless ID and CLEAR with PreCheck, 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• International Terminal departures: standard screening and TSA PreCheck, 4:30 a.m. to midnight.

The International checkpoint page also shows a second set of hours (7:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 to 7:00 p.m.) without a clear label. If you count on PreCheck there, confirm on atl.com before you go.

You can reach every concourse and gate from any checkpoint, so you don't have to pick the one closest to your gate. Pick the shortest line.

Flying out in the middle of the night? Main is the only checkpoint listed as open 24 hours.

ATL's own advice is to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one. Mornings from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and the days around holidays and long weekends are the busiest.

TSA does not set one arrival time for everyone and tells you to check with your airline, so read your airline's guidance too.

Only ticketed passengers, airport staff, people meeting or greeting travelers and others with legitimate business can enter the airport. Airlines can issue a gate pass that lets one adult accompany a passenger with a disability or a child traveling alone.

The South checkpoint in the Domestic Terminal is PreCheck only, and it also offers PreCheck Touchless ID. The International Terminal checkpoint has a PreCheck option as well.

If a PreCheck lane is closed when you arrive, show your PreCheck boarding pass in a standard lane and you can still get expedited screening. TSA never guarantees expedited screening on a given trip.

With PreCheck, shoes, belts and light jackets stay on, and electronics and your 3-1-1 liquids stay in your bag.

Kids 12 and under can use the PreCheck lane with a parent or guardian who has PreCheck on the boarding pass. Teens 13 to 17 need the PreCheck indicator on their own boarding pass, on the same reservation.

Membership costs $85 or less for five years, according to TSA. Fees can change, so confirm on tsa.gov before you apply.

The Lower North checkpoint has a CLEAR Standard lane, and the South checkpoint offers CLEAR with PreCheck.

You can enroll online or at CLEAR pods in the Domestic Terminal, North and South sides, near the Main checkpoint.

Have your boarding pass and a valid photo ID ready. Adults 18 and older must show ID.

REAL ID is in force: since May 7, 2025, state licenses and IDs that are not REAL ID compliant are refused at airport checkpoints. An Enhanced Driver's License works for domestic flights. Other accepted IDs include a U.S. passport or passport card, a Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST card, a foreign passport and a permanent resident card. A temporary driver's license does not count.

Forgot your ID? Since February 1, 2026, you can pay a $45 fee to verify your identity through TSA ConfirmID. Check tsa.gov for the current fee.

Liquids follow the 3-1-1 rule: containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all in one quart-size bag.

• Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food can go above 3.4 ounces and don't need to fit in the bag. Tell the officer at the start of screening.
• Duty-free liquids bought abroad can continue on a U.S. connection if they stay sealed in the tamper-evident bag, with the receipt, bought within the last 48 hours.

Flights leaving the United States check in at the International Terminal, which has its own entrance.

Mobile Passport Control is a free CBP app that lets eligible travelers send passport and customs details from their phone. It covers U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 visitors and returning Visa Waiver travelers with an approved ESTA. Check CBP's list of participating airports before you rely on it.

Global Entry costs $120 for five years and includes TSA PreCheck. If you are conditionally approved, CBP's Enrollment on Arrival lets you do the interview when you land, at airports that offer it.

Need help getting through screening? Call TSA Cares at (855) 787-2227 at least 72 hours before your flight. You can ask for a Passenger Support Specialist to meet you at the checkpoint.

Children who appear to be 12 or younger get modified screening procedures.