Flying from Alabama? TSA’s New Rule Will Save You Time

Are you a frequent flyer or looking to do some traveling by plane for the first time this summer? Well, there is good news... No longer taking off your shoes will be a requirement at TSA checkpoints across the country effective July 8, 2025.

How is this good news for you?

This new rule means you can expect to save some time and get to your seat a little sooner without having to pay extra for pre-checks.

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The fact is on a national average it takes around twenty-seven minutes to get through a TSA checkpoint.

Locally, you can cut that time down to about eight minutes on average if traveling using the Birmingham Shuttlesworth airport and during the busiest times twenty-five minutes. Normally, you would think how much time it really takes for one person to get their shoes on or off, but imagine running late to the airport and having to wait behind ten people taking their shoes on and off making your experience even less pleasant and you even more anxious.

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Like most things these days we can thank technology and its advancement for making our life experiences just a little bit easier.

This is the reason, given by lawmakers, for the new convenience. It was said that technology and scanning processes have been upgraded to the point of no longer having a need for shoe removal. Now the real question is how much time will this really save? No one knows the answer, but it is expected to have a "drastic decrease in wait times" so your eight minutes might just become five soon.