Home Information Sharing & Analysis Prevention & Protection Preparedness & Response Research Commerce & Trade Travel Security Immigration
About the Department Open for Business Press Room
Current National Threat Level is elevated

The threat level in the airline sector is High or Orange. Read more.

Homeland Security 5 Year Anniversary 2003 - 2008, One Team, One Mission Securing the Homeland

Fact Sheet: CAPPS II at a Glance

Release Date: 02/13/04 00:00:00

For Immediate Release
Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
February 12, 2004

What is CAPPS II?

The enhanced Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II) is a limited, automated prescreening system authorized by Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  The system, developed with the utmost concern for individual privacy rights, modernizes the prescreening system currently implemented by the airlines.  It will seek to authenticate travelers' identities and perform risk assessments to detect individuals who may pose a terrorist-related threat or who have outstanding Federal or state warrants for crimes of violence.

CAPPS II will become a critical element in TSA's "system of systems" approach to security which includes thorough screening of baggage and passengers by highly trained screeners, fortified cockpit doors in all airliners, thousands of Federal Air Marshals aboard a record number of flights, and armed Federal Flight Deck Officers.  

Under CAPPS II, airlines will ask passengers for a slightly expanded amount of reservation information, including full name, date of birth, home address, and home telephone number.  With this expanded information, the system will quickly verify the identity of the passenger and conduct a risk assessment utilizing commercially available data and current intelligence information.  The risk assessment will result in a recommended screening level, categorized as no risk, unknown or elevated risk, or high risk.  The commercially available data will not be viewed by government employees, and intelligence information will remain behind the government firewall.  The entire prescreening process is expected to take as little as five seconds to complete.

Once the system has computed a traveler's risk score, it will send an encoded message to be printed on the boarding pass indicating the appropriate level of screening.  Eventually, the information relevant to the appropriate screening process is planned to be transmitted directly to screeners at security checkpoints.  

In the rare instances where a particular traveler has been identified as having known or suspected links to terrorism or has an outstanding Federal or state warrant for a crime of violence, appropriate law enforcement officers will be notified.  A small percentage of passengers will require additional screening at the security checkpoint. The vast majority of travelers will go through the normal screening process.

Under the terms of a competitively awarded contract, Lockheed Martin Management and Data Systems (Lockheed) will assist TSA in developing the passenger risk assessment and prescreening system.  Lockheed will develop, integrate, deploy and operate for TSA, a Risk Assessment System through a five year task order contract that provides flexibility to TSA to accomplish the goals as outlined in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.  

How will CAPPS II strengthen homeland security?
A vital element of TSA's layered approach to security is to ensure that travelers who are known or potential threats to aviation are stopped before they or their baggage board an aircraft.  CAPPS II is an integral part of that approach.  It provides:

  • A stronger prevention system - CAPPS II will provide a more reliable screening result than is provided by the current airline operated prescreening system.  It will seek to authenticate a passenger's identity and conduct a risk assessment.  It also allows for updates as new intelligence is received and the threat level is modified.
  • Shorter waits at checkpoints -- By reducing the number of selectees requiring additional screening, CAPPS II will help speed up the screening process for the vast majority of travelers.
  • Focus for resources -- CAPPS II will enable DHS to focus its screening resources and as DHS is better able to assess the potential risks to passengers and aircraft, it will be able to allocate resources such as the Federal Air Marshals.

When will CAPPS II be in place?
CAPPS II is scheduled to be implemented after testing and after Congressional requirements are met.

What will CAPPS II mean to the average traveler?
Most passengers will notice little change in the check-in process.  Many will actually see improvements.  For example, some travelers who receive secondary screening today because they are flagged in the outdated CAPPS I system will no longer be flagged and inconvenienced under the more sophisticated CAPPS II system.  CAPPS II will improve aviation security because screening decisions will be more closely aligned with current intelligence information and threat levels.

 ###

This page was last reviewed/modified on 02/13/04 00:00:00.