(USA TODAY) You no longer need to take your shoes off at airport security.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration, announced in a press conference on Tuesday that the long-standing policy requiring most passengers to remove their shoes at TSA checkpoints is no longer in effect.
“TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoint,” Noem said at the press conference.
The change had been previously reported by other news organizations but was not initially confirmed by the TSA.
According to Noem, the new policy goes into effect immediately nationwide.
TSA officials previously said that the agency regularly adjusts its screening procedures based on a real-time threat assessment, technologies available at each checkpoint and other considerations. Noem pointed out that some travelers may still be asked to remove their shoes if they are required to undergo additional screening.
“Everything the TSA does and requires of travelers has always been necessary, but they have advanced over the years,” Noem said. “We have made advancements in how we screen individuals.”
