As the United States prepares for a historic influx of visitors during the 2026 World Cup and the nation’s 250th birthday, a sweeping change is quietly unfolding at some of the country’s busiest airports. Biometric “eGates”—already a fixture in many international airports—are finally making their American debut, promising to revolutionize the travel experience for millions. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and identity verification firm CLEAR have teamed up to pilot these high-tech gates at three major U.S. airports, aiming to streamline security and reduce wait times ahead of what is expected to be a record-breaking travel season.
The rollout began on August 19, 2025, at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., set to follow the week of August 26, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) joining the pilot during the week of August 31. According to Axios, CLEAR is funding the entire rollout at no cost to taxpayers, while the TSA retains full operational control over the eGates—a detail that underscores the government’s cautious but growing comfort with biometric technologies in airport security.
For now, the new eGates are available only to CLEAR+ members, a subscription service that costs $209 a year and is designed to expedite the identity verification process at airport checkpoints. The system is opt-in, meaning that only travelers who choose to enroll and pay for CLEAR+ can take advantage of the new technology. As Fast Company points out, while these eGates won’t replace manual document checks for all passengers just yet, their introduction should help free up space and reduce congestion in traditional security lines, benefiting the broader traveling public as well.
So, what exactly is an eGate? In many foreign airports, eGates are automated checkpoints equipped with cameras, passport readers, and biometric scanners. Passengers step up, have their identity verified through facial or fingerprint recognition, and—if all checks out—are permitted through without the need for a human official to manually inspect their documents. This technology, as Fast Company notes, can dramatically reduce processing times for both arrivals and departures, cutting down on the long waits that have become all too familiar for U.S. travelers.
At these three pilot airports, the process is remarkably streamlined. Travelers step into the eGate, which conducts real-time biometric verification by matching the passenger’s face to their ID and boarding pass. If the system gives the green light, the gate opens and the traveler bypasses the traditional TSA podium, heading straight to the screening area. According to CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker, the entire transaction should take between three and six seconds. “This is frictionless travel. This is more secure,” Seidman-Becker told Axios. “This is making airports great again, ahead of the World Cup.”
The timing of the rollout is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to bring tens of millions of international visitors to the United States, the pressure on airport infrastructure is expected to be unprecedented. “Our expectation is to roll this out nationwide and so that by the time the World Cup comes around next summer our airports are competing and leading with the airports around the world,” Seidman-Becker explained to Axios. The hope is that, by modernizing security checkpoints, U.S. airports will be able to handle the massive influx of travelers more efficiently and with less stress for both passengers and staff.
The pilot also reflects a broader trend toward the adoption of biometric identity verification in the United States, a technology that was once controversial but is now increasingly seen as essential for modern travel. CLEAR’s platform uses a multi-layered approach to identity confirmation, combining document authentication, biometric capture technology, liveness detection to prevent spoofing, and backend identity proofing. As MT Newswires reported, this infrastructure is designed to be robust, secure, and scalable—qualities that are critical as the system expands to more airports and more travelers.
For those wondering about privacy and data security, both CLEAR and TSA have taken steps to address common concerns. CLEAR says it transmits only limited data—such as the live photo taken at the gate, the passenger’s boarding pass, and the ID photo used during enrollment. The company has no access to government watchlists, cannot override TSA decisions, and does not manually open any gates. TSA, meanwhile, maintains full operational control, ensuring that security standards are met at every step. As Men’s Journal notes, TSA is also embracing other forms of identification software, including its new PreCheck Touchless ID, which uses facial recognition to eliminate the need for a physical photo ID.
While the current pilot is limited to CLEAR+ members in domestic airports and does not extend to international border control, the long-term vision is much broader. CLEAR has announced plans to expand CLEAR+ enrollment to passport holders from the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, further widening the pool of travelers who can benefit from the service. After the initial trial at Atlanta, D.C., and Seattle, the expectation is that eGate technology will be deployed nationwide across CLEAR’s network of airports—potentially transforming the U.S. travel experience just in time for the world’s biggest sporting event.
This initiative is just the latest in a series of innovations from CLEAR, whose business model centers on providing secure, predictable, and fast experiences for travelers. The company’s secure identity platform is already used for dedicated entry lanes at airport security checkpoints across the country, and its RESERVE service allows users to book a dedicated time slot for security screening. CLEAR’s recent partnerships and technology expansions—including collaborations with healthcare organizations and international passport holders—signal its ambition to become a central player in digital identity verification well beyond aviation.
For now, the eGates represent a significant step forward in the modernization of U.S. airport infrastructure. With transaction times as short as three seconds and the promise of a frictionless, secure journey from check-in to boarding, travelers who opt in are getting a taste of the future—one that may soon be available to everyone. As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup continues, all eyes are on this ambitious pilot, which could redefine what it means to travel in America.
