Why Your Boarding Pass Says SSSS: What It Means

Airport security is an important system in place to maintain the safety of the traveling public. More than 904 million passengers were screened by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2025. And while many of those screenings were routine, seeing the dreaded four-letter code—SSSS—on your boarding pass could signal a significant slowdown in your airport security experience, with additional screening and bag searches. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is SSSS?

SSSS stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is displayed on boarding passes as a four-letter code. This prompts officers to conduct additional security screenings on the passenger connected to that boarding pass. Note that travelers can receive the designation on both domestic and international flights.

Those flagged with an SSSS have reported on Reddit that their carry-on luggage was searched, among other enhanced security protocols. Bonus security screenings can range from having your electronics swabbed, agents doing a manual examination of your carry-on, or the passenger being patted down. Because the types of screenings vary, these extra steps can take anywhere from a few minutes to more than half an hour.

Why do people get flagged with SSSS?

The SSSS code is most often randomly applied to an airline passenger’s ticket, without any specific reason, according to a United States Senate report from December 2023. And while the designation can be applied to passengers on watchlists or those with unusual travel patterns, the report analyzed TSA data, which showed it most often happens at random.

Additional screening is part of the federal government’s layered security approach at commercial airports. According to the Transportation Security Administration’s website, “TSA incorporates unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, to accomplish our transportation security mission.” The agency’s website also states it works in coordination with intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and begins security measures before and after a passenger is inside the airport itself.

What should you do if you get SSSS multiple times?

While being subjected to additional screening repeatedly can be frustrating, the United States government has a special program in place to help make future airport experiences operate more smoothly. 

The Department of Homeland Security’s Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, or DHS TRIP, helps provide passengers with a redress control number that can be used to confirm their identity when booking a flight. The program is especially designed for travelers who have been denied boarding or repeatedly asked to complete additional screenings. According to the TSA website, “The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program can provide resolution to travelers with difficulties getting through security and inspection at airport checkpoints, train stations, and when crossing U.S. borders.” 

This program offers options for both domestic and international travelers, and applications can be obtained through the Department of Homeland Security’s website. Once your case is reviewed, successful applicants will be given a redress number to add to future airline bookings. While this doesn’t guarantee you’ll never see SSSS again, it should reduce the frequency of airport security obstacles.

Are there other reasons for extra security screenings? 

TSA agents can mandate extra screenings if they spot something unclear or questionable during the bag-scanning process, when you go through a body scanner or metal detector, or if you’re behaving in a manner they deem suspicious.

“[The latter] is fairly uncommon, but if a passenger is behaving in a suspicious manner, the TSA might ask them some questions to ascertain why they are behaving that way,” Dan Bubb, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a former airline pilot, told Travel + Leisure. “Sometimes, that behavior can be connected to drug smuggling. So, airline personnel and TSA agents are highly trained to spot potential concerns in order to keep [the] traveling public safe.”

As previously mentioned, the TSA utilizes both seen and unseen security measures and can randomly choose passengers for additional security screenings. Due to the secrecy of security programs, the TSA’s website offers little information regarding SSSS, except for one mention of the Known Crewmember program (KCM), which is widely used by airline crews to expedite security.

“KCM participants with a boarding pass showing SSSS are not permitted to use KCM access points,” the TSA’s website states. “If a KCM participant has a boarding pass with SSSS printed on it, the crewmember must proceed to a standard passenger screening checkpoint and undergo screening, as directed.”

To save time during the security process, passengers can enroll in trusted traveler programs such as TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.