EWR Security: Checkpoints, Wait Times, PreCheck and CLEAR

Newark has three terminals, A, B and C, and each one has its own TSA screening. You clear security in the terminal where your airline checks you in.

The airport splits its published wait times by terminal and by gate group, not by individual checkpoint lane. Terminal A is listed as one group. Terminal B is listed as gates 40-49, 51-57 and 60-68. Terminal C is listed as one group.

Checkpoint hours: EWR does not publish them by terminal. One hint: the airport's listing for the Terminal B Children's Play Area, in the B1 satellite on the way to gates 40-49, says the play area is typically open from 3:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., when the TSA checkpoint is open. The same listing also shows 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. as its hours, so the two ranges conflict and neither is a confirmed checkpoint schedule. Ask your airline if you fly very early or very late.

The airport posts security wait times on the Newark Airport home page, on the departures page and on each terminal page. Numbers are split into General and TSA PreCheck.

The airport says the times are calculated and updated in real time and measured from the entrance to the checkpoint queue. If the line spills past that area, your real wait can be longer.

Wait times change by the minute and differ from one page to the next, so we do not print one here. Open the airport's page before you leave for the airport.

Terminal A is the new terminal. The airport lists Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and United here.

Security wait times are shown for all gates together, with General and TSA PreCheck numbers. CLEAR is available at Terminal A.

After security, the airport lists walk times to gates: 3 to 6 minutes for gates 1 to 7, 2 to 10 minutes for gates 8 to 28, and 3 to 6 minutes for gates 29 to 34.

Terminal B has three wait time groups: gates 40-49, gates 51-57 and gates 60-68. The airport lists a TSA PreCheck time only for gates 40-49. For the other two groups it shows no PreCheck number, so check with your airline or a TSA officer if you hold PreCheck and fly from those gates.

CLEAR is available for gates B40 to B49. The airport lists CLEAR hours of 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday to Friday and 4:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday.

After security, the airport lists a walk time of 2 to 4 minutes to any Terminal B gate.

Terminal C is operated by United and is the home of United Airlines at Newark. Wait times are shown for all gates together, with separate General and TSA PreCheck numbers. CLEAR is available at Terminal C.

After security, walk times run from 1 to 3 minutes to gates 70-74, 4 to 7 minutes to gates 75-123, and 7 to 10 minutes to gates 125-139.

The TSA PreCheck enrollment office is in Terminal C.

PreCheck: the airport shows a PreCheck wait time for Terminal A, Terminal B gates 40-49 and Terminal C. For Terminal B gates 51-57 and 60-68 it shows no PreCheck number, so ask your airline or a TSA officer whether PreCheck applies at your gate.

CLEAR: the airport says CLEAR is at Terminal A, Terminal B gates B40-B49 and Terminal C. Hours may vary, so check the CLEAR website. Published hours are for Terminal B only.

Enrollment: EWR has enrollment centers for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and CLEAR. The Global Entry center is in Terminal B and the TSA PreCheck office is in Terminal C. The airport suggests you pre-enroll online first.

Need help at screening? TSA Cares can arrange a Passenger Support Specialist. Request it online more than 72 hours before travel, or call +1 (855) 787-2227 within 72 hours (Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET). Terminal B partners with Jetweels, wheelchairs that let you stay seated while passing through TSA metal detectors. Request wheelchair help through your airline.

If you fly United and your flight leaves from a different terminal than where you checked in, you do not have to clear security twice. A shuttle bus runs after security between the two terminals.

In Terminal C it is near Gate C71. In Terminal A it is between gates A28 and A29, across from Starbucks. The airport says United customers can check in and drop bags at either terminal and then go through TSA right away.

EWR does not publish a recommended arrival time, so follow your airline's advice for your flight. What the airport does say: most airlines open check-in 3 to 4 hours before departure and close it 45 to 60 minutes before takeoff, though this varies. Gate information is usually posted about 3 hours before.

Bring a REAL ID, an Enhanced Driver's License or a valid passport. If you have none of these, the airport says you can pay a $45 fee to use the TSA Confirm.ID system. Allow extra time.

EWR has no security appointment or reservation program. If you want certainty, use the live wait times and leave a buffer.