CLEAR Airport Kiosk News
Update August 2025
Clear Airport Kiosks: 2025 News Highlights
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New Biometric E-Gates
Clear is testing futuristic e-gates at several airports, including Oakland (OAK), Oklahoma City (OKC), and Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP), with planned rollout to more airports like Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) this summer. These e-gates use touchless biometric technology, aiming for a future where travelers can pass through security using biometrics alone—no boarding pass or ID needed. The current trial lets passengers use a boarding pass scan and then biometrics (eyes or fingerprints); eventually, full automation is planned. Clear employees will remain present, shifting from verification to hospitality roles.thepointsguy+1 -
EnVe Pod Rollout for Faster Check-In
Clear launched innovative “EnVe Pods” at 12 major airports including Denver International Airport (DEN) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). These pods use face-first biometric tech to accelerate the identity verification process, reportedly making it five times faster than previous systems. The rollout is ongoing and will cover all 58 airports in the Clear Plus network throughout 2025.clearme -
Expansion of TSA PreCheck Enrollment Locations
In 2025, Clear continued to expand its TSA PreCheck enrollment and renewal services, increasing the number of locations at both airports and non-airport venues like shopping malls and Staples stores. New locations have opened in airports such as Sarasota Bradenton, Baltimore/Washington, Grand Rapids, Phoenix, and Portland. The company has also established its first non-airport venues in places like the Salesforce Transit Center (San Francisco) and several shopping centers in Florida, Texas, and Georgia.clearme+3 -
Legislative Developments in California
A California bill (SB 1372) proposes changes to how Clear operates within the state. If passed, it would ban Clear from expanding at California airports unless it sets up dedicated security lanes (not using standard TSA or PreCheck lanes). CLEAR currently operates in nine California airports and faces opposition to the bill from travel industry groups and airlines. The bill aims to create more equitable airport checkpoint experiences and could impact Clear’s future operations in California if enacted beginning January 1, 2025.abcnews.go
These updates reflect Clear’s ongoing push to modernize airport security, increase convenience with expanded enrollment, and adapt to regulatory shifts—all while integrating cutting-edge biometric tech for a faster airport experience.
We recently did a writeup on some news from Biometric Update:
The battle for TSA and airports seems to have taken a new turn. Just when we were settling into fast and speedy airline check-in thanks to IRIS biometrics, one of the players is “complicating” the situation.
A recent post on Biometric Update (thanks Michael!) came up and notes Idemia is lobbying to make ID checks mandatory for CLEAR’s members. That would be an inconvenience for CLEAR members for sure who pay $189 a year for first up. We also noted on the same day a news story on CBS News and CLEAR. It focused on a couple of employee errors.
We asked CLEAR. Here are our notes summarized by Bard.
Refer to the Washington Post’s story from the other week reporting that the TSA is not pursuing CBS’s claims.
- CLEAR takes security very seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy for security breaches.
- The two security incidents that were mentioned were isolated incidents that did not involve the CLEAR biometric system. They were the result of an ambassador not following the company’s strict protocols. CLEAR took immediate action by terminating the responsible employees, their managers, and retraining all ambassadors at the affected locations.
- CLEAR has been working with the TSA since 2020 to integrate CLEAR members’ IDs into TSA’s CAT machines. This would allow passengers to skip the ID check at the airport. CLEAR is looking forward to rolling this out in the future to create a more seamless and secure traveler experience.
.We also asked about CLEAR’s “additional locations/venues” and here is our take:
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Hotels – CLEAR offers travelers a hotel check-in experience at the Hard Rock Las Vegas. Take a selfie and the head straight to your hotel room without stopping at the front desk. It’s free for all customers at participating hotels.
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Airports – currently the network is 53 airports nationwide and expanding.
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Rental Cars – CLEAR partners with Avis to help travelers easily verify their driver’s license ahead of time. 54 eligible Avis airport locations nationwide. This functionality was first tested by Hertz back in 2018.
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Sports/Entertainment Venues – CLEAR has deployed a series of integrations to enhance the fan experience at sports and entertainment venues across the country. Specifically, CLEAR’s age verification product, which is currently available at select arenas, allows fans to verify their age and purchase age-gated items, like beer —all with just a selfie within the team or stadium’s app.
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Healthcare – CLEAR is developing the ‘replace the clipboard’ in healthcare by partnering with various health systems, including Wellstar Health System in Georgia and the University of Miami Health System in Florida, to empower consumers to securely access and control their health information, beginning with account management and check-in.
- LinkedIn – CLEAR is partnering with LinkedIn to expand digital safety and trust by empowering LinkedIn members in the U.S. and Canada to verify their identity with CLEAR for free.
VIDEO
- Here is a nice video showing the different ways CLEAR is expanding.
- Ambassador Video