The Program
An estimated 750,000 individuals will require TWIC™s. Enrollment and issuance will take place over an 18 month period. To obtain a TWIC™, an individual must provide biographic and biometric information such as fingerprints, sit for a digital photograph and successfully pass a security threat assessment conducted by TSA.
While TWIC™ may be implemented across other transportation modes in the future, the TWIC™ Final Rule, published in the Federal Register January 25, 2007, sets forth regulatory requirements to implement this program in the maritime mode first.
The program’s goals are:
- Positively identify authorized individuals who require unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime transportation system;
- Determine the eligibility of an individual to be authorized unescorted access to secure areas of the maritime transportation system;
- Enhance security by ensuring that unauthorized individuals are denied unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime transportation system; and,
- Identify individuals who fail to maintain their eligibility qualifications after being permitted unescorted access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime transportation system and revoke the individual’s permissions.
The TWIC™ Final Rule was posted on January 1, 2007, and reflects input obtained through four public meetings and over 1,900 comments from the maritime industry. This rule does not require maritime owners and operators to purchase or install card readers compatible with TWIC™ at this time.
Click here for more information about the TWIC™ program.
