How to Get a TWIC Card in Texas

In 2004, the federal Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) was passed to ramp up the security for the U.S. maritime industry and commerce, including ports, other maritime facilities and U.S. vessels. One of the security measures the MTSA implemented is an identification credential required of anyone who needs full, unescorted access to MTSA-regulated areas. The way to get this ID card, known as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC, in Texas begins with completing an application online or in person at an authorized enrollment center.

Jobs that may require TWIC cards include dock workers, truck drivers and contractors. Applicants who are eligible to apply are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent U.S. residents, naturalized U.S. citizens or nonimmigrant aliens, asylum seekers or refugees who have lawful status. Even if an applicant meets these requirements, she still may be ineligible for a TWIC card if she provides incomplete or false information on the application, if she has disqualifying criminal offenses or meets other disqualifying criteria.

Some permanent disqualifying criminal offenses include convictions, guilty or no-contest pleas or cases that resulted in a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity for felonies such as espionage, sedition, treason, federal terrorism and murder. Some of the interim disqualifying offenses, occurring within seven years of the application date, include fraud, bribery, smuggling, arson, immigration violations, robbery, rape and voluntary manslaughter. The Transportation and Safety Administration (TSA) may also disqualify TWIC applicants for other factors, such as denying persons who have been judged as lacking mental capacity or who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility.

Applicants can complete an online application, but they still have to schedule an in-person interview at a TWIC application center. As an option, applicants can complete the application in person at their interview. By visiting TSA.gov and entering Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) in the search box, applicants can follow the prompts to apply online.

Walk-in appointments are welcome, but TSA recommends scheduling an appointment for the interview because appointments take priority over walk-ins. To make an appointment, applicants can call 855-347-8371 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET on weekdays. At the application center, applicants will be fingerprinted and photographed. Documentation is also required, such as a birth certificate, driver’s license or current U.S. passport.

To find a local enrollment facility online, applicants can visit UniversalEnroll.dhs.gov and click the TWIC button or name. When the page loads, clicking the Find an Enrollment Center takes applicants to an online search form where they’ll enter a ZIP code or airport code to search for their nearest enrollment center. This is the same page that applicants return to after they receive their cards in the mail in order to activate, replace or reset their card’s PIN.

TWIC card applicants must pay a nonrefundable fee, which validates their card for five years. Payment methods accepted are credit card, money order, company check and certified/cashier’s check. New applicants pay $125.25 unless they qualify for the reduced rate of $105.25. New applicants are eligible for this reduced rate if they present a valid driver’s license, plus a hazardous materials endorsement or a Free and Secure Trade card.

Applicants who simply need a replacement TWIC card must pay a fee of $60. Whether a TWIC card is for a new applicant or it’s a replacement card for a current card holder, applicants can elect to have the card mailed to them or to pick it up at the application center.