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The Transportation Worker Identification Credential, also known as TWIC®, is required by the Maritime Transportation Security Act for workers who need access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime facilities and vessels. TSA conducts a security threat assessment (background check) to determine a person’s eligibility and issues the credential. U.S. citizens and immigrants in certain immigration categories may apply for the credential. Most mariners licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard also require a credential. Regarding card usage and facility access requirements, please contact the U.S. Coast Guard.
Important Notice: TSA recommends that all applicants enroll for TWIC® (including renewals) a minimum of 60 days before applicants require a valid TWIC. TSA is experiencing increased demand for TWIC, and the processing times for some applicants may exceed 45 days.
To be eligible for the reduced rate you must present a valid driver license with a hazardous materials endorsement, or a Free and Secure Trade card. Please note, if you select the reduced rate, your new TWIC card will be valid for five years from the chosen document’s issuance date.
You may apply if you are a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, naturalized citizen or a nonimmigrant alien, asylee, or refugee who is in lawful status.
Applicants may be ineligible due to:
When TSA decides to revoke a TWIC® card, the agency informs facility security officials via the TWIC® Canceled Card List and the Visual Canceled Card List. The two lists are publicly available (including only Federal Agency Smartcard Numbers (FASC-Ns) or Credential Identification Numbers (CINs); no personally identifiable information) and updated daily to display TWIC® cards that have been canceled, allowing facility and vessel operators to determine whether a presented TWIC® card is valid.
The presence of a TWIC® card on the Canceled Card List and/or Visual Canceled Card List cannot be used to infer derogatory information about the cardholder; it simply indicates the card is no longer valid. While the two lists include cards that are revoked after recurrent vetting, the lists also include cards that have been replaced because they are lost, stolen or damaged. TWIC® cards that are canceled cannot be removed from the two lists, and canceled cards should be returned to TSA.
TWIC® electronic card readers are devices that comply with the TWIC Reader Hardware and Card Application Specification published by TSA and are available through a variety of manufactures. Each manufacture offers a range of readers designed for specific use cases in various models and TWIC Authentication Modes.
TWIC readers and supporting systems are currently being evaluated against a strict set of Test Cases and once they are successfully completed, test cases will be listed on the TWIC Self-Certification Qualified Technology List (TWIC SC-QTL). The SC-QTL list of manufacturers is made available by the TSA to maritime facilities, vessel operators, and the general public and includes detailed reader information. The TSA TWIC Reader SC QTL is updated as additional readers are tested and Self- Certified by the manufacturer.
The purpose of the TWIC Reader Self- Certification Qualified Technology List, SC-QTL, effort is to:
Current SC-QTL listed readers may be subject to firmware and or hardware updates by the manufacturer and shall be re-tested and recertified by the manufacturer.
