IAD Security Checkpoints: Hours, PreCheck and CLEAR

Dulles has three checkpoints, and you reach all of them from the Departures, Ticketing/Check-In Level:

• East Security Checkpoint
• West Security Checkpoint
• TSA PreCheck Checkpoint, located between the East and West checkpoints

The airport lists no checkpoints in the concourses. After you clear security, the AeroTrain station is just beyond the checkpoints, and the trains run to the midfield gates. The airport does not say which airline uses which checkpoint, so check with your airline if you are unsure.

The airport's security page lists these hours:

• East: 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• West: 4:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• TSA PreCheck: 24 hours a day

The airport says screening is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When East and West are closed, use the screening lanes at the PreCheck checkpoint or follow TSA staff directions.

Heads up: an older FAQ page on the same website lists different hours (East 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., West 3:45 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., PreCheck 4:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.). The airport does not say which page is current, so confirm with your airline or the airport before an early flight.

The PreCheck checkpoint sits between East and West and is open around the clock. PreCheck is also offered at the West checkpoint, daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. That is the airport's current notice, so it may change.

To enroll, the airport's FAQ says you can apply at an office in the Terminal Building, Departures Level, Ticketing/Check-In. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments get priority. You can also start online on the TSA PreCheck website.

CLEAR lets enrolled members skip the document check. You scan your boarding pass, verify with a fingerprint or iris scan, and a CLEAR employee walks you into the screening area.

Kiosks for members are at the lower-level East checkpoint and at the entrance of the PreCheck checkpoint on the Ticketing Level. Enrollment kiosks are on the Departures, Ticketing/Check-In Level, one west of the PreCheck line and one outside the East checkpoint.

If you also have PreCheck, CLEAR sends you directly into the PreCheck screening area. The airport's FAQ gives CLEAR enrollment kiosk hours of 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., which differs from its checkpoint hours, so do not count on CLEAR for a very early or late flight. Enrollment prices are set by CLEAR, so check clearme.com.

The airport posts no live security wait times on flydulles.com. It recommends arriving 2 hours before a domestic departure and 3 hours before an international one. Ask your airline for current conditions.

The airport lists no reservation program for security lanes. The practical fix is PreCheck or CLEAR if you fly often.

Every traveler 18 or older needs a REAL ID driver's license or another accepted photo ID, such as a passport or a Global Entry card. The airport's page says that beginning February 1, 2026, travelers without acceptable ID must pay a $45 fee for identity verification before going through a TSA checkpoint. Check TSA for the current rule before you fly. Virginia drivers can get a REAL ID at the DMV. It is marked with a star.

The airport sends you to TSA for the list of prohibited items. The liquids rule it quotes: a quart-size clear bag, with each container 3.4 ounces or smaller.

TSA rules prevent anyone from escorting you to the gate. Gate passes for non-flying visitors are up to each airline.