SEA security wait times and when they peak
SEA's security lines peak before 9 a.m., from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 9 to 11 p.m. See each checkpoint's hours, lanes and how early to arrive.
Grab your coffee after security at SEA, not before. The lines build in three waves: before 9 a.m., from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 9 to 11 p.m. Arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one, which is what the Port of Seattle asks, and add the walk from your car or the curb on top.
For an early cup after security, Neighborhood Bubble Tea & Coffee opens daily at 4 a.m. by Gate D5 in D Concourse. Caffé D’arte opens daily at 4:30 a.m. by Gate A10 in A Concourse, and Costa Coffee opens daily at 4:30 a.m. by Gate N10 in N Concourse.
SEA posts checkpoint waits on the Port’s live wait-times page, in the flySEA app and on terminal signs. Check those before choosing a line.
When the lines are longest
More than one-third of SEA’s daily passengers arrive before 9 a.m., by the Port’s count. For the 9 to 11 p.m. peak, check the hours below before heading for a checkpoint.
Chase also puts Monday and Friday mornings, plus holidays, on its busiest-times list.
The Port counts over 94% of travelers through security in 20 minutes or less.
Working back from your departure time
Count four stretches between the curb and your gate:
- Check-in or bag drop, if your airline needs it.
- The walk from the garage, the drop-off curb or the train to a checkpoint. From Link, you cross the skybridge into the terminal, and the free Train-to-Plane cart runs 5 a.m. to midnight if you have heavy bags.
- The security line.
- The trip to your gate. A, B, C and D Concourses connect on foot airside. N and S are satellite concourses you reach by the airside train: the Blue Line serves S, B and A, and the Green Line serves N, C and D. Trains on those loops come every three minutes. To change between the loops without walking across the terminal, take the Yellow Line between A Station and D Station. Our Main Terminal page shows the layout.
For a dawn flight by Link, check Sound Transit’s timetable before you go to bed. The first train listed at SeaTac/Airport Station is at 4:51 a.m. on weekdays, 4:48 a.m. Saturday and 5:58 a.m. Sunday. Those times don’t tell you when a train from your stop reaches the airport.
Pick the checkpoint by your gate
Every checkpoint leads to every gate, so use the one closest to where you’re flying from. The Port’s live wait-times page and our security directory show Checkpoints 1 through 6, although the Port’s arrival page counts five.
| Checkpoint | Where it sits | Published hours | Lanes on the live wait-times page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baggage claim level, next to the airporter pickup by Door 00. Closest to A Gates and S Gates | 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. (five general lanes) | General, CLEAR+ |
| 2 | Ticketing level, next to the AMC counters. Closest to A Gates and S Gates | 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. | General, TSA PreCheck |
| 3 | Closest to A Gates and S Gates | 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (PreCheck and Touchless ID 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.) | General, TSA PreCheck, Premium, PreCheck Touchless ID |
| 4 | The USO Center is on the mezzanine above. Closest to the Central Terminal, B Gates and C Gates | Open 24 hours | General, Family Lane, Premium, SEA Spot Saver, SEA Visitor Pass |
| 5 | Closest to C Gates, D Gates and N Gates | 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. | TSA PreCheck |
| 6 | Near a before-security nursing room. Closest to C Gates, D Gates and N Gates | 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. (six lanes, PreCheck 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., CLEAR+ 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.) | General, Premium, TSA PreCheck, PreCheck Touchless ID, CLEAR+ |
Lanes, and the end of Spot Saver
TSA PreCheck costs $85 for five years, and Global Entry includes PreCheck. PreCheck Touchless ID and Premium lanes work only for participating airlines.
SEA Spot Saver accepts free reservations for general screening at Checkpoint 4. The Port has set a last booking day and will honor reservations booked by then at Checkpoint 4. The service becomes unavailable after that. Check the Port’s Spot Saver page before you go.
Before you reach the belt
At SEA’s document checker, have your ID and boarding pass ready. Empty your water bottle at the checkpoint’s liquid disposal. Our water refill guide shows where to fill it after.
In a general screening lane, bin your shoes and jacket. Empty your pockets, too: keys, wallet, phone, bulky jewelry and belt all come off. Put laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles larger than a phone in a bin with nothing above or below them. Your carry-on goes in its own bin. In a PreCheck lane, you can keep your shoes on and electronics in your bag.
Ask the TSA agent at the belt for help with a car seat, stroller, wheelchair, medication or baby formula before you load it.
Leave something in a bin? It goes to the Port’s lost and found. Our lost and found page says where to ask.
If you’re connecting through SEA
The A, B, C and D Concourses connect on foot past security. Take the airside train to the N or S Concourse. If you arrive internationally and connect, you’ll screen again after baggage claim, passport control and airline recheck. The IAF Transfers Security Checkpoint opens 6 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Pacific and exits into the A Concourse. See our connections page for that recheck route.
Sources
- Our security directory, Main Terminal page and connections page
- Our parking directory and transport directory
- Our food directory and airport amenities directory
- The Port of Seattle’s flySEA app page