Has anyone does a name change for TSA pre-check?

Has anyone gotten married and had to change their TSA pre-check known traveler number? I called to do that and they said it takes 1-3 months. So while I should have it before I leave on my cruise in late August, I won't have it all summer for my business travel. I applied a month ago for the name change and I haven't heard a peep. I called them to ask about it and was lightly reprimanded for asking about it before three months were up.

I'm curious how long the name change process takes, and how they did it. It's weird to just call and give your info, and then not hear from anyone again until it's done 1-3 months later.

I have not done but I saw a person doing that operation while I waited for my pre-check interview. I think it was an appointment. She showed some documents that proved her "old" information and "new" information. Had to give finger prints again if I remember correctly so that all ID matched the computer record. Seemed to take not much time. Check the web page for the information and documentation needed -- it is posted just above.

Thanks, but that isn't exactly what I was looking for. I'm past that point of contacting TSA. I wanted to see if anyone has already done this process and how long it took.

I already called TSA back in April and they took my info on the phone and said someone would email me with questions (they wouldn't say when) and that within 1-3 months the process would be complete.

I called again last week, a month after my first call, and the guy said he saw the notation on my file that I'd called, (but he pointed out that it was really only 27 days since my original call, not a month as I said it was!) and that they'd moved it to the next step, and that someone would email me with more instructions. I said, "Don't you need my marriage license, passport, some proof of name change?" He said, "If they need that, they'll ask you when they email you."

Again, I've heard nothing.

It's so random and strange. "Put in your request and within 1-3 months it will be done."

I feel as if I keep pestering, they'll blacklist me somehow and it will never happen.

Remember one thing: This is a government program.

True, and a fairly new one at that. I changed the name on my passport and it was simple. Did what they asked and, a month later, my new passport arrived. It's the vagueness of the TSA pre-check name change that is irking me. No one has even followed up to ask me for proof of identity and why my name changed.

If you're travelling a lot, the answer is very simple: Don't change your (legal) name.

I have a friend who travels a lot for work, and who's been married twice. Changing her name the first time and then changing it back were such huge battles that when she got married the second time she decided that she was simply not going to change her name ever again.

None of this stops her from being known as "Mrs [X]" socially, where X is her second husband's surname.

If you're travelling a lot, the answer is very simple: Don't change your (legal) name.

 

I have a friend who travels a lot for work, and who's been married twice. Changing her name the first time and then changing it back were such huge battles that when she got married the second time she decided that she was simply not going to change her name ever again.

 

None of this stops her from being known as "Mrs [X]" socially, where X is her second husband's surname.

While I see the convenience of your friend's plan, I don't personally believe in entering a marriage with an exit strategy already in place.

While I see the convenience of your friend's plan, I don't personally believe in entering a marriage with an exit strategy already in place.

After all, men never have to change their names on getting married, and they thereby avoid all of this hassle. Why should women have to endure any of it?

It actually doesn't only apply to people who travel for work. There are also plenty of people that I know who travel for leisure only, but who travel so often that there has never actually been a convenient time since their marriage to try to align all the names on tickets and travel documents.

My original question was whether anyone had done this and how long it took. Still trying to figure that out. Not weigh the pros/cons of changing your name in the first place.

Did anyone here change their name on their TSA pre-check?

My original question was whether anyone had done this and how long it took. Still trying to figure that out. Not weigh the pros/cons of changing your name in the first place.

 

Did anyone here change their name on their TSA pre-check?

Anyone else's experience has no relevance to yours. One person may have had this process completed in two weeks; another in two months.

Anyone else's experience has no relevance to yours. One person may have had this process completed in two weeks; another in two months.

I totally understand what you mean! But it does have relevance to me in that I'm gathering information about what other people's experiences have been. Thanks!

It's got nothing to do with exit strategy. It's simply an on-entry hassle-avoidance strategy.

 

 

 

After all, men never have to change their names on getting married, and they thereby avoid all of this hassle. Why should women have to endure any of it?

 

 

 

It actually doesn't only apply to people who travel for work. There are also plenty of people that I know who travel for leisure only, but who travel so often that there has never actually been a convenient time since their marriage to try to align all the names on tickets and travel documents.

BRAVO! Common sense over worthless tradition.

In any case, if you think it's a long wait for "pre-check" processing, try getting a "global entry" interview in under several months at hub airports like SFO.

I can't imagine dealing with the global entry interview process in a major city! I had looked into doing that originally, but the closest airport to my house was two hours away, so I decided to skip it since I don't travel internationally very much.

Guess that shows how lucky we are here in Tucson. We got our interview a week after completing the application online.

I wanted to post an update on how long it took to change my name with TSA pre check due to marriage. I applied for the name change on April 14. They said it would take 1-3 months for TSA to contact me for documentation. I called three times, once a month, to check, with no movement on my name change. On July 13, a day before the three months were up, I heard from TSA. They asked for proof of my marriage, which I emailed. On July 29, my name change was complete.

I know everyone's wait can vary, but wanted to share my details in case anyone searches for this topic in the future.

njsmom, it was good to see your update to see that they finally got back to you. I called them with a name change on May 26th, and was told someone would call me within 90 days. 90 days came and went and no one called me back. I called them, and was told they would escalate it to their team lead and find out why no one has gotten back to me. 2 weeks later (today) I call again and they said, gee, sorry, we really can't help you - we're just passing this along to TSA and they need to get in touch with you to change it.

They claimed that so many people joined TSAPrecheck that they can't handle all the enrollments and the name changes. This is absolutely ridiculous, that it's 3-1/2 months and no one has even begun to ask me for the proof of my name change! I have tickets booked for flights and hope I will get this resolved before then. It's maddening to have paid for service I have no access to for over 3 months. At least I see that it took only 2 weeks from when you sent proof to when they changed it - I was worried it would take way longer than that.

IIRC, much of the expanded Pre-Check administration has been contracted out to private firms, so you might have been caught in the no-mans land between the contractor and the government.

This is where a call to your Congressman one woman can help.