TWIC Cost Dips, But Delays Remain
This story appears in the Feb. 2 print edition of Transport Topics.
The cost of obtaining a Transportation Worker Identification Credential has been slightly reduced, but applicants still face lengthy delays.
Transportation Security Administration officials said the wait has been 75 days or longer for applicants to obtain their credentials due to processing delays.
As of Feb. 1, the cost of TWIC cards slipped to $128, a $1.75 reduction, stemming from lowered FBI fingerprint processing charges, according to TSA.
The problem with delays has been common since 2009, when TSA began issuing TWICs that grant truck drivers and other workers unescorted access to secure areas of U.S. ports.
“We regret any inconvenience or difficulty this may be causing and are working diligently to reduce the time it takes to process all TWIC applications,” TSA said. “The delay applies to applications that involve criminal-history records or immigration status that must be verified, although others may also experience a delay.”
As of November, 2.9 million workers had enrolled in the program, but only about 2 million workers are active cardholders.
Due to the delays, TSA officials are now advising workers to apply for their cards 10 to 12 weeks prior to needing to use them.
“Requiring proof of citizenship at the time of enrollment will ensure that all TWIC applicants meet eligibility requirements for the credential,” the agency said.
Martin Rojas, vice president of security and operations for American Trucking Associations, cited complaints among carriers about drivers experiencing delays of up to 15 weeks.
“It’s a constant, nagging thing,” Rojas said. “We still need to make the processes better and we still need to harmonize and consolidate all these background checks.”
In a related development, TSA said it is tweaking the requirements to show proof of citizenship for U.S.-born TWIC applicants. Previously, applicants have been required to show either a drivers’ license or unexpired passport to verify their citizenship.
But as of July 1, a number of other documents will be permitted to verify citizenship, said Jill Taylor, manager of homeland security for the Port of Los Angeles.
“Requiring proof of citizenship at the time of enrollment will ensure that all TWIC applicants meet eligibility requirements for the credential,” TSA said.
The alternatives that applicants can show as proof of citizenship requires presenting two documents at once such as an original birth certificate (or a certified copy) and a U.S. passport that has been expired for less than a year.
“TSA is making this change to align TWIC proof-of-citizenship requirements with those of other TSA programs such as the Hazardous Material Endorsement,” the agency said.
Current identifiers include an unexpired Free and Secure Trade Card, Global Entry Card, Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection Card, or Enhanced Tribal Card, TSA officials said.
Port workers who typically are required to obtain a TWIC include longshoremen, U.S. mariners, deckhands, longhaul and drayage truck drivers, laborers, and other individuals requiring unescorted access to secure areas of U.S. ports.
Two agencies oversee the TWIC program, TSA and the Coast Guard. However, TWIC enrollment centers are operated by TSA contractor MorphoTrust USA, a subsidiary of Safran S.A., a French multinational aircraft and rocket-engine, aerospace-component and security company.
MorphoTrust did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Prior to the end of 2014, the agency had permitted TWIC cardholders to extend their expiring cards for three years at a cost of $60.
However, now those expiring cardholders must start the TWIC application process from the beginning and pay the full $128 for the five-year card.
