TSA to end shoe removal rule at airport checkpoints as of July 7
WASHINGTON — Travelers nationwide will no longer be required to remove their shoes during airport security screening beginning Monday, July 7, the Transportation Security Administration confirmed.
The long-standing policy—implemented in the wake of a 2001 failed shoe bombing attempt—has been widely criticized for years. Previously, only TSA PreCheck members, children under 13, and adults over 75 were exempt from the requirement.
The change, set to take effect nationwide, is made possible by new scanning technology that allows security personnel to detect threats without the need for passengers to remove footwear. The TSA says the policy shift follows extensive testing and reviews of risk assessments.
The shoe removal rule was introduced in August 2006 in response to British national Richard Reid’s attempt to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes on a transatlantic flight in 2001.
TSA said the rollout of modern screening systems and inconsistent enforcement of shoe removal protocols in recent years contributed to the decision to implement the change across all airports.
