TWIC Card for Truck Drivers Entering Port Facilities

What the TWIC is and when a driver needs one

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential is a federal ID issued by the Transportation Security Administration after a security threat assessment. The Coast Guard enforces its use at facilities and on vessels regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act. The rule that matters for drivers is simple: a TWIC is what lets you have unescorted access to a secure area of a regulated facility.

Under 33 CFR 101.105, a secure area is the part of a facility where the operator controls access under its Coast Guard-approved security plan. It does not include public access areas. Unescorted access means having the authority to enter and move about a secure area without an escort. A container terminal's gate and yard are normally inside the secure area, which is why drayage drivers need the card.

Container terminals are not the only places. Drivers may also need a TWIC at regulated waterfront facilities such as fuel and chemical terminals, bulk docks and some warehouses on the water. If a facility has a TWIC sign or a guard checking cards at the gate, assume you need one.

Fees and validity

Fees are as listed on tsa.gov in October 2026. TSA changes them from time to time, so check the TWIC page before you budget. Other federal fees a carrier pays are collected on our federal fees page.

How to apply

1. Start the application online through TSA's Universal Enroll site, or do the whole process in person at an enrollment center.
2. Schedule an appointment online or by calling (855) 347-8371, weekdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments get priority.
3. Bring identity documents. TSA lists a current US passport, or a driver's license plus a birth certificate, as common combinations. Non-citizens need immigration documentation.
4. Give fingerprints and a photo at the enrollment center.
5. Pay by credit card, money order, company check, or certified or cashier's check.
6. Choose delivery. The card can be mailed to your address or sent to an enrollment center for pickup.

TSA's goal is to respond within 30 to 45 days of enrollment, longer if your fingerprints were hard to capture. TSA recommends applying at least 60 days before you need the card. A driver hired for port work today will not be pulling containers next week on his own card.

Who can be denied

Disqualifying offenses are listed in 49 CFR 1572.103. Some are permanent, such as espionage, terrorism-related crimes, murder and certain explosives and hazardous materials crimes. Others are interim: they disqualify you if the conviction was within seven years of the application, or if you were released from incarceration within five years of it. Interim offenses include weapons offenses, fraud, smuggling, drug distribution or importation, robbery and others. An open want, warrant or indictment for a listed felony also disqualifies you until it is resolved.

If TSA sends a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility, you have 60 days from receipt to respond, request an appeal (if the record is wrong), request a waiver (if it is right but you can show rehabilitation and other factors), or ask for more time. Do not let that window pass.

Escorts: what the rules say and what terminals do

Federal rules allow a person without a TWIC into a secure area under escort. "Escorting" means the person is continuously accompanied, side by side or by monitoring, so the escort can see whether the visitor does anything beyond the purpose of the visit. In restricted areas, a TWIC holder must be present. Each facility writes its own escort procedures into its security plan, and the regulation in 33 CFR 105.255 leaves the details to that plan.

In practice, many container terminals do not offer escorts for truck drivers at all, and those that do may make you wait. Do not dispatch a driver without a card to a terminal on the assumption that an escort will be available. Call the facility first.

The 30-day new-hire provision in 33 CFR 105.257 lets a facility's own newly hired employees work in secure areas, accompanied, while their TWIC is processed. It applies to facility employees, not to outside truck drivers.

Card readers

Coast Guard rules require electronic TWIC inspection at certain higher-risk facilities. Implementation for some facilities has been delayed until May 8, 2029. Many terminals already scan cards at the gate on their own initiative, so a damaged chip or a card that does not match TSA's records can stop you at the gate even where readers are not yet mandatory.

Renewals and replacements

• You can renew up to one year before the expiration date printed on the card, and up to one year after it expires. After that you start over as a new applicant.
• Online renewal is open to US citizens, US nationals and lawful permanent residents. If you changed your name, call the TSA help center first.
• Report a lost or stolen card by phone or online and pay $60 for a replacement. If the old card turns up later, do not use it; destroy it or return it to TSA.
• Current cards stay valid until the expiration date printed on them.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until the card expires. A lapsed card means no unescorted access the next morning. Renew early; the one-year window is there for a reason.
• Assuming an HME covers you. It only lowers the fee. You still need to enroll.
• Letting the reduced-rate card expire early. A card bought at $105.25 expires with the HME or FAST card, not five years from the TWIC date.
• Ignoring the 60-day letter. An unanswered Preliminary Determination becomes a final denial.
• Thinking the TWIC is all you need. Terminals also check your company's registration, insurance, interchange agreement and appointment.
• Using a card after reporting it lost. A reported card is no longer valid.

Questions

How much does a TWIC cost?

TSA lists $128 for a new enrollment, $105.25 at the reduced rate for applicants who present a valid driver's license with a hazardous materials endorsement or a FAST card, and $60 for a replacement card. The fee is non-refundable.

How long is a TWIC valid?

Five years from issuance. If you used the reduced rate, the card expires five years from the issuance date of the HME or FAST card you presented, which can be sooner.

Can I renew my TWIC online?

Yes, if you are a US citizen, US national or lawful permanent resident and have not changed your name. You can renew up to one year before and up to one year after the expiration date printed on the card. After that you enroll as a new applicant.

Can I enter the port without a TWIC if someone escorts me?

Federal rules allow escorted access to secure areas for people without a TWIC, but each facility sets its own escort procedures in its security plan. Many container terminals will not escort truck drivers, so in practice drayage work requires your own card. Ask the facility before you dispatch a driver without one.

Does a TWIC replace my hazmat endorsement background check?

No. They are separate TSA programs. Holding a valid HME lets you pay the reduced TWIC fee, but you still have to enroll for the TWIC, and a TWIC does not give you an HME.