Major Change Coming To Airport Security Checkpoints

Updated at 7:14 p.m. CDT

Most passengers flying out of U.S. airports will no longer have to take off their shoes when going through Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a news conference Tuesday.

Noem said the DHS evaluated screening equipment at each airport and is “fully confident” they can accommodate the change without compromising security and safety.

“There will be individuals at times that will be asked to remove their shoes, if we think there is additional layers of screening that is necessary that may still happen to an individual,” Noem said at a news conference at Reagan National Airport Tuesday afternoon.

“But we are excited with the fact that we have the technology now that we have the multi layers of screening in place that we've built in over the recent several years, they give us the ability to allow our travelers to keep their shoes on,” Noem said.

The change is the most significant changes in the TSA screening process in more than a decade. The rule requiring passengers to take off their shoes was implemented in 2006, five years after Richard Reid, a passenger aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, tried to detonate homemade bombs in his shoes. As he struggled to light the fuse, Reid was restrained by crew members and passengers and later arrested, according to the FBI.

The blog Gate Access, the first to report on an internal TSA memo announcing the change, and multiple other news organizations reported that changes implemented at some regional airports were expected to be implemented nationwide

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt seemed to confirm that, saying in a post on X early Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security had “big news.”

The change was implemented Monday at some airports, including Alabama’s Montgomery Regional Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Portland International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, CBS News reported.

“TSA officers may still request footwear removal in specific situations where additional screening is warranted,” the Montgomery Regional Airport said in a news release. “Footwear screening remains one part of a layered security approach, which also includes identity verification, Secure Flight vetting, and advanced scanning technologies.”

The policy change, part of the TSA’s broader effort to modernize security screening and improve passenger convenience while maintaining strong security standards, could be implemented nationwide in the near future, a senior government official told NBC News.

TSA and DHS “are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture,” TSA Public Affairs said in a statement ahead of Noem’s announcement. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels,” the statement said.

The TSA PreCheck option already speeds passengers through an expedited security screening process that allows them to leave their shoes on, according to the TSA website.

Travelers are still required to remove their belts, jackets, laptops and liquids, and place them on an X-ray belt for screening at TSA checkpoints.