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Passenger Civil Rights

Office of Civil Rights and Liberties

Overview

TSA's 43,000 security officers, inspectors, air marshals, managers, and directors are a reflection of this nation's great diversity. We are a reflection of you, the traveling public. Our goal and our mission is to protect our nation's transportation systems so that we all can travel safely. Our security officers work to protect over 2 million travelers each and every day.

We are committed to making each traveler's screening experience as pleasant and smooth as possible. We are also committed to treating each traveler with dignity and respect throughout the screening process.

Despite our commitment to integrity, you may be unhappy with your screening experience. You may feel that you were treated differently or less favorably by a security officer. You may even feel that the treatment you experienced was because of your race, national origin, age, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. If this is how you feel about a screening experience, we want to know about it.

The role of the Office of Civil Rights and Liberties is to review concerns about a screening experience where you believe you were treated differently or discriminated against because of your race, national origin, age, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. We can only attempt to resolve concerns when we know they exist.

Our Civil Rights Policy Statement

We treat all members of the travelers in a manner free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or retaliation. To emphasize our commitment to TSA employees and the traveling public, TSA issued its Civil Rights Policy Statement.

Quite simply, our policy statement assures travelers they will be treated in a fair, lawful and nondiscriminatory manner. It also emphasizes we have no tolerance for harassment in the treatment of the public we serve. Finally, it outlines out how we ensure an environment free of discrimination through program, policy, and operational reviews.

» Click here to read the TSA Civil Rights Policy. (pdf)

Mission of the External Compliance Division, Office of Civil Rights and Liberties

To ensure that the civil rights and liberties of the traveling public are respected throughout screening processes, without compromising security. The Division ensures that Agency processes and procedures do not discriminate against the traveling public, and abide by the constitutional freedoms of the traveling public.

The External Compliance Division meets its mission by providing civil rights guidance and services to TSA program offices, including security offices, technology offices, and communications offices; and by reviewing TSA policies and procedures to ensure that the civil rights and liberties of the traveling public are taken into account.

Reporting Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Complaints

How can you report a civil rights or civil liberties complaint? There are a number of ways in which you can report a concern. You can pursue any of the following steps.

During travel: While you are still at the checkpoint, you can ask to speak with a supervisor about the incident. You can also ask to speak with the Customer Service Manager for the airport. Depending on the time of day during which you are traveling or the size of the airport, the Customer Service Manager may not be readily accessible to you at the airport.

After traveling: You may contact the External Compliance Division of TSA's Office of Civil Rights and Liberties to file a complaint.

Our mailing address is:
Transportation Security Administration
Office of Civil Rights and Liberties (TSA-6)
External Compliance Division
601 S. 12th Street
Arlington, VA 22202
Our email address is:
TSA.OCR-ExternalCompliance@dhs.gov

You may also contact the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to file a complaint. The Department's procedures for filing and handling complaints can be found at: http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/editorial_0373.shtm.

What should be included in your complaint?

Your complaint should include a description of the incident. The description should include the date of the incident, the approximate time of the incident, the name of the airline carrier on which you were flying, and the name of the airport. The complaint should also explain what happened. The explanation should include why you feel the incident constituted a civil rights or civil liberties violation and why you feel you were treated differently, or discriminated against by this incident.

What is a civil rights or civil liberties complaint?

Civil Rights – include the Constitutional rights to due process, and equal treatment under the law.

Civil Libertiesinclude the Constitutional freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination – includes treating someone differently or less favorably because of a person's race, national origin, age, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation, as compared to someone else under similar circumstances.

What will happen with your complaint?

The Office of Civil Rights and Liberties will process external complaints filed up to 180 days after the date of the alleged discriminatory act or incident. However, the ability to conduct a successful fact-finding investigation is greatly limited when an extended period of time has passed between the date of the alleged discriminatory act or incident and the date of receipt of the complaint.

How to contact TSA on other matters, such as watch list issues, claims issues, general questions, or to share your opinions or comments with us.

For additional information and contact information concerning watch list issues, please see the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program's webpage at: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/customer/redress/index.shtm.

For additional information and contact information concerning claims issues, please see the TSA Claims Management Office's webpage at: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/customer/claims/index.shtm.

To ask general questions or to share your opinions or comments with us, please see the TSA Contact Center's webpage at: http://contact.tsa.dhs.gov/default.aspx.

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