The officer will insert each photo ID into the CAT unit where the ID is scanned and analyzed. CAT is linked electronically to the Secure Flight database, which confirms travelers' flight details, ensuring they are ticketed for travel that day.

When a TSA officer or security agent scans your ID at the airport, several digital "handshakes" occur instantly. First, the scanner verifies the authenticity of the document by checking security features like holograms, barcodes, and UV patterns to ensure it isn't a forgery. Second, the system cross-references the ID data with the Secure Flight passenger data provided by the airline to confirm that you have a valid reservation for a flight departing that day from that specific airport. In 2026, many of these scanners are also linked to biometric facial recognition (especially in "Touchless" lanes), comparing your live face to the photo on your ID or the one on file with the State Department. Finally, the scan checks your name against various government watchlists and the "No Fly" list. No personal data from the scan is typically "stored" by the TSA after the flight concludes for privacy reasons, but the scan is the final "green light" that links your physical identity to your travel authorization.