Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)

The new security standards surrounding the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) can be confusing, so if you do not yet have a TWIC, or if you don’t know how it works, please read through the description below. TWIC is administered by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. Please visit the official TWIC site for further information.

NOTICE TO ALL TRUCKERS

The next phase of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program is a test of the biometric card readers that will be used to verify your TWIC on each entry to a marine terminal. This test will provide important information on the impact of TWIC readers on marine terminal operations.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, along with APM and Maher Terminals, will be participating in this pilot test. The test is in progress our public berths and select truck lanes at both APM and Maher .

This means that you may be asked to present your TWIC to the reader, enter your Personal Identification Number (PIN) and perform a check of your fingerprint. Instructions will be posted by each reader and individuals representing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may be on hand to provide further instructions.

We thank you for your cooperation and continuing to help ensure the security of the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Truck Drivers Are Not Authorized To Escort Anyone On The Marine Terminals

Please advise your drivers they are not allowed to bring driver trainees*, children, spouses, friends or relatives to the marine terminals. The US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection prohibit unauthorized passengers in truck cabs when entering marine terminals at the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Everyone who needs access to the restricted areas of marine terminals must have a TWIC in his or her possession. There are no exceptions. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in an arrest for criminal trespassing and/or the suspension of your SeaLink privileges.

Additionally, for safety reasons, passengers cannot be dropped off outside the terminal gates while you or your driver are inside the terminal.

Please make sure that all of your drivers are aware of these requirements and the consequences for non-compliance. We appreciate your cooperation and assistance in keeping our ports secure.

*Check with terminal operators for their policies. Driver trainees with a valid TWIC may be admitted with advanced notification.

See this announcement in Spanish

What is TWIC?

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is an identification card required by federal law for workers to gain unescorted access to areas of Coast Guard-regulated maritime facilities that are designated as secure or restricted. Everyone whose work regularly brings them to and from the landside of the Port of New York and New Jersey – including stevedores, equipment operators, contractors, drayage and truck drivers, and Coast Guard-credentialed merchant mariners – must have a TWIC.

This means that if you regularly require access to the Port Authority public berths, container terminals, bulk terminals, cruise ship terminals, or other critical port infrastructure as designated, you need a TWIC (the only exceptions are federal officials, law enforcement, or emergency workers engaged in official duties).

U.S. Mariners holding a Merchant Mariner Document or a Merchant Mariner License must obtain a TWIC. Foreign mariners are not eligible.

A TWIC alone does not grant unconditional access to Port facilities. To enter Port facilities, you must have:

a TWIC
a business reason to enter a facility
an employer- or trade association-issued identification card (or a SeaLink identification card if you are a truck driver)
registered your TWIC with the Port Authority’s Physical Access Control System (or SeaLink if you are a truck driver)

While at the facility, you must always display your TWIC on your outermost garment, above the waistline. Upon request from the TSA, Coast Guard, or other official, you must be prepared to present your TWIC, key in your PIN and verify your fingerprints. Failure to comply could result in a $25,000 fine.
If you do not have your TWIC – including if it’s lost or stolen – you will be denied access to the facility. If you do lose your TWIC, please immediately notify the Port Authority by sending an email to PAMarSec@panynj.gov or calling 212-435-4282.

Occasional visitors to Port facilities may do so without getting a TWIC, provided they have an authorized escort. If you visit Port facilities with an escort eight or more times in a year, you will be required to get a TWIC.

How to Obtain Your TWIC

TWIC is administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. Please visit the official TWIC site for detailed information on the application process.

The process involves three steps:

Make an appointment with an enrollment center by calling 866 DHS-TWIC (347-8942), online, or just walk in to your nearest enrollment center. To find the enrollment center nearest you, click here
Visit the enrollment center. You will be photographed and fingerprinted, and a background check will be run. You must bring correct identification documents. For a list of acceptable documentation, click here
You’ll be notified by e-mail or phone when your TWIC is ready. You must pick up your TWIC at the enrollment center at which you originally applied. When you come in, your identity will be verified, you will select a 6-8 digit personal identification number (PIN), and your card will be activated. Please remember your PIN and which fingerprints were used to activate your TWIC. You must know both to gain access to Port facilities.

TWIC and SeaLink

Anyone with a SeaLink identification must also have a TWIC. You must register your TWIC with the Port Authority at the office; TWIC registration is free. Click here for location and hours of the SeaLink office

If You Forget Your TWIC PIN

If you received your TWIC after October 21, 2008, go to the nearest enrollment center (walk-ins welcome) and reset the PIN on the spot. Then go to the SeaLink office to re-register your TWIC.

If you received your TWIC before October 21, 2008 and have forgotten the PIN you chose during activation:

Go to the SeaLink office or your local enrollment center and try to figure it out. You have 10 tries to get it right. The PIN will be between 6-8 digits.
If you aren’t successful, immediately call the TSA Help Desk at 866 347-8942 and ask for a replacement TWIC. Hold on to your original TWIC; you will need to turn it in when you receive your new TWIC.

Reporting a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged TWIC

Report a lost, stolen, or damaged TWIC to the TWIC Help Desk at 866 DHS-TWIC (866 347-8942), or in person at a TWIC enrollment center. Please also report it to the Port Authority by calling or e-mailing our Maritime Security Coordinator, at 212 435-4282 or PAMarSec@panynj.gov.

Replacement of a lost, stolen, or damaged card is $60.

Your replacement card will be sent to the TWIC enrollment center at which you first enrolled. It can take up to two weeks to process. You will be notified when the card is ready for pick-up.

After you apply for a replacement card, you may be granted seven days of unescorted access to a facility, at the facility’s discretion, if you meet the following criteria:

The facility’s security staff knows that you have a TWIC;
You previously had unescorted access; and
You have a ticket number issued for your replacement card as proof that replacement is in process.
You can present another form of acceptable identification.

You may be granted additional time at the sole discretion of the Coast Guard Captain of the Port.

Suspension of Access Privileges

The Port Authority reserves the right to suspend access to Port facilities to anyone convicted of a crime specified in subrule 34-078 of PAMT Tariff FMC Schedule No. PA 10.

Escorting non-TWIC Holders

On a case by case basis, the Port Authority will permit individuals without TWIC to access the Port Authority Public Berths accompanied by an authorized escort. All escorts must be approved as such in advance, and must complete a three-hour Maritime Security Awareness training course provided by the Port Authority.

To apply for TWIC Escort Sponsorship and Privileges, click here