Sometimes mistakenly referred to as a TWIX card, but accurately called a TWIC card, the correct acronym stands for Transportation Worker Identification Credential. This card is an identification credential mandated by the 2004 Maritime Transportation Security Act to boost security protocol for the
Qualifying for a TWIC Card
As a managed initiative of the Transportation Security Administration, TWIC cards contain a tamper-resistant feature that’s linked to the cardholder’s fingerprint template. TWIC-eligible individuals include personnel such as longshoremen, merchant mariners, truck drivers and contractors. Applicants must be
Disqualifying criteria include permanent criminal offenses such as felonies ranging from treason, espionage, murder and federal terrorism. Other disqualifying criteria include interim offenses, which occur within seven years of the date of application, such as arson, bribery, fraud, immigration violations, rape, robbery and voluntary manslaughter. The TSA may also deny the issuance of a TWIC card to applicants who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility or who have been adjudicated as lacking mental capacity.
Read More: What is a TWIC Card?
Applying for a TWIC Card
Applicants have the option of applying online or applying in person at a TWIC application center. Even if applicants complete an online application, they must still schedule an in-person interview. At TSA.gov, applicants enter Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) in the search box, and follow the prompts to find the application.
Scheduling a TWIC Card Appointment
The TSA encourages TWIC applicants to schedule an appointment for their interview, even though walk-in appointments are welcome. The advantage of scheduling an appointment is that it takes priority over walk-in applicants. To schedule an appointment, applicants can call toll free 555-347-8371 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
At the appointment, the applicant is photographed and fingerprinted. Proof of identity, such as a driver’s license, current
Locating the Nearest TWIC Office
Although the appointment scheduler will notify applicants of their nearest TWIC office, applicants can also find this information online by visiting UniversalEnroll.dhs.gov and clicking the TWIC button or acronym. After the page loads, applicants click Find an
Applicants may want to bookmark this page in order to return to this same page to check their TWIC status, activate their TWIC card, replace their card or reset the card’s PIN.
Paying for a TWIC Card
New TWIC card applicants pay a nonrefundable $125.25 fee, which keeps their credential active for five years. Applicants are eligible to receive a $20 discount by paying $105.25 for their TWIC card if they have a valid driver’s license and a Hazardous Materials Endorsement or a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card. Current TWIC cardholders who apply for a replacement card owe a fee of $60. Reduced-rate TWIC cards expire five years from the issuing date of a FAST card or on the expiration date of a current, unexpired HME.
Accepted payment methods are credit card, company check, money order or certified/cashier's check. Applicants may choose to have their TWIC cards mailed to them or held for pickup at the application center.
References
- Transportation Security Administration: TWIC
- Transportation Security Administration: Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors
- Transportation Security Administration: Universal Enroll
- Transportation Security Administration: Enrollment Center Locator
- Transportation Security Administration: TWIC Application
Writer Bio
Victoria Lee Blackstone was formerly with Freddie Mac’s mortgage acquisition department, where she funded multi-million-dollar loan pools for primary lending institutions, worked on a mortgage fraud task force and wrote the convertible ARM section of the company’s policies and procedures manual. Currently, Blackstone is a professional writer with expertise in the fields of mortgage, finance, budgeting, tax and law. She is the author of more than 2,000 published works for newspapers, magazines, online publications and individual clients.