What ARE the New TSA Rules?

(Arlington, VA) — The TSA is now allowing passengers keep their shoes on at airport security checkpoints. The decision was confirmed July 8, 2025, ending a policy that had been in place for almost two decades. On July 7, 2025, the TSA said it’s exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the change is nationwide and takes effect immediately. “We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,” she said.  The TSA is estimated to have screened close to two and a half million people each day last year.  Noem said that one of the reasons that the “shoes off” policy could be safely discarded is that “cutting-edge technological advancements” have rendered it unnecessary. One that travelers may have noticed is the greater use of facial recognition technology, a development some privacy advocates have viewed with concern.

The shoes-off policy began in 2006 and was the result of a failed December 2001 attack by a British man named Richard Reid, who packed explosives into his shoes and tried to detonate them during a flight from Paris to Miami.

Many other security measures remain in place. Passengers will, for example, still have to remove their belts, coats, laptops, and certain items from their bags while passing through security. Rules limiting gels and liquids in carry-on items to 3.4 ounces still apply, and checked bags must also be subjected to X-ray screenings. Canines used for detecting bombs and drugs are still frequently used, and full-body scanners were brought to airports after another failed attack in December 2009, in which a man tried to detonate explosives smuggled onto a plane in his underwear.