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Holiday Bonus: TSA Expands Its Pre-Check Service

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Holiday travel is still in full swing. One headache may be those security checkpoints. The TSA is expanding its pre-check service to include all airline passengers.

Gigi Barnett explains how you can enroll.

Before takeoff this holiday, a stop through security is required. Shoes off, bags opened; it's a hassle for many passengers.

"Take the laptop out; take the shoes off. I just need to get to destination to destination," said passenger Pierre Stewart.

That's why TSA is expanding its pre-check program to all passengers. No more waiting for the airlines to invite you or going through Customs and Border Protection to get in.

"It will allow them to go through the expedited screening at the airports. When people come to the checkpoints, they'll be able to leave their shoes on, they'll be able to leave their light outerwear, jackets or sweaters on," said TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

TSA is opening 300 enrollment centers nationwide by mid-2014. This week, Baltimore became one of the first cities to get it. A driver's license, fingerprints and a little more information are all it takes to enroll and skip security at more than 100 airports across the country.

"The idea being the more information you give us about yourself, the more we can pay attention to the passengers we know less about," Farbstein said.

"I want to get to the plane, get to my destination and get back and this makes things a lot less complicated," Stewart said.

Last week, TSA opened an enrollment center in Indianapolis. By the end of the month, there will be one in New York and Los Angeles.

There is a fee to enroll; $85 gets you into the program for the next five years.

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