Badging

First-time applicants must be fingerprinted, pass a background check, and complete the required educational course(s) prior to being issued a badge.

1. Application

Your Houston Airports Authorized Signatory will decide the level of access you will be granted, and you will be required to complete and sign a Badge Application Form. The form may be completed online, but must be printed and signed by hand. Your Authorized Signatory must also complete and sign his/her parts of the form.

2. Verifying Identification

Bring your completed and signed form to an airport badging office, along with two forms of matching identification, one of which must establish identity and one for work authorization. Please be advised that the names on each form of ID must match exactly, or the vetting process may be stopped in order to give the applicant time to provide identification with exactly matching names. It is recommended to bring more than two forms of ID. All forms must be written in the English language, legible and unexpired.

Validation of data from all forms of ID will be conducted. Should the applicant refuse or fail to provide a primary form of identification that can be confirmed; he or she must leave the badging office and apply at a later date when he or she has obtained an approved, confirmable form of identification.

Documents That Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization
*All documents must be an original unexpired & clearly legible.

Airport ID will not be issued to anyone under the age of 16.

• U.S. Passport or Passport Card
• Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
• Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV)
• Employment Authorization Document (Card) that contains a photograph (Form I-766). 4. Employment Authorization Document (EAD) that contains a photograph (Form I-766). Form I-766 expired on its face combined with Form I-797 based on an automatic EAD extension in certain circumstances qualifies as unexpired Form I-766
• In the case of a nonimmigrant alien authorized to work for a specific employer incident to status, a foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form I-94A bearing the same name as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien’s nonimmigrant status, as long as the period of endorsement has not yet expired and the proposed employment is not in conflict with any restrictions or limitations identified on the form
• Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or From I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association Between the United States and the FSM or RMI

Documents That Establish Identity
* All documents must be an original unexpired & clearly legible.

For individuals 18 years of age or older:

• Driver's license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address.
• ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address (includes HAS airport ID Badge).
• School ID card with a photograph.
• Voter’s registration card.
• U.S. military card or draft record.
• Military dependent’s ID card.
• U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card.
• Native American tribal document.
• Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority.
• License to Carry handgun permit.
• Employer-issued photo ID card (Government and Regulated Airlines only – IAH).
• US State issued Social Services ID card.
• Temporary driver’s license with photo issued by US State Government.
• Temporary ID card with photo issued by any US Government Authority (Federal, State, County, City).
• Other non-photo government issued ID cards (FAA certificates, Certifications, Licenses, Permits, etc).

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

• School record or report card.
• Clinic, doctor, or hospital record.
• Day-care or nursery school record.

Documents That Establish Employment Authorization
* All documents must be an original unexpired & clearly legible.

NOTE: A copy (such as a metal or plastic reproduction) is not acceptable.

• A U.S. Social Security account number card other than one that specifies on the face that the issuance of the card does not authorize employment in the United States and includes one of the following restrictions:
  • NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT
  • VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH INS AUTHORIZATION
  • VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION
• Certification of report of birth issued by the U.S. Department of State (Forms DS-1350, FS-545, FS-240).
• Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority or outlying territory of the United States bearing an official seal.
• Native American tribal document.
• U.S. Citizen Identification Card (Form I-197)
• Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179).
• Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by the Department of Homeland Security.

Unacceptable forms of Identification (Examples not all inclusive)

• Membership cards (Library, Sam’s Club, Fitness Clubs, etc).
• Credit or Debit cards.
• Auto or Health insurance cards.

If an applicant indicates he or she was born outside of the U.S., verification of citizenship will be determined by an official naturalization certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240), or US Dept. of State (DS-1350 as of 12/31/2010). Non-US citizen alien status and work authorization will be verified by an Alien Registration, Refugee Travel Document or Reentry Permit. All must be accompanied by an Employment Authorization Document. First-time Foreign Alien applicants must also provide his/her Social Security Card.

Please note: The badging process must be completed within 30 days of receipt of fingerprint results. If not badged within 30 days, the applicant must repeat the application and fingerprint process.

Houston Airports, the airport tenant and each badge holder are jointly responsible for control and accountability of ID badges. When a badge holder’s work is complete or reassigned at the airport, or upon his or her termination of employment, the employer or sponsor must immediately notify the badging office of the status change. The sponsor is also responsible for obtaining or confiscating the badge and returning it to the badging office within 48 hours for accounting and shredding purposes.

Procedure for reporting a badge status change

1. Obtain or confiscate the individual’s badge upon his or her termination, completion or work reassignment
2. Call the badging office immediately to report the badge holder’s termination or reassignment; call the appropriate IAH or HOU security number on the back of the badge
3. Notify your Houston Airports Sponsor or Authorized Signatory of the termination or reassignment
4. Return the physical badge to the badging office

Expired Badge

A badge holder and his or her sponsor are jointly responsible for renewing the badge prior to its expiration date. If the badge expired more than 30 days prior, renewal requires re-application by the new badge applicant process.

Access to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) areas requires additional application and approval. If you require access to these areas, the badging office staff will provide the necessary forms and further instruction. You will not be able to proceed to these areas until you receive your airport badge with a Customs and Border Protection Seal.

Badge applicants requiring access to U.S. Customs and Immigration areas (e.g., Terminal D Customs Hall) must complete a Customs application and have it approved by U.S. Customs, in addition to the paperwork required by the Houston Airports Badging Office.

If you are a new badge applicant, your Customs application will be initiated after you complete the fingerprint process. For existing badge holders, the Airport Badging Office will review your status before referring you to Customs.

Required Forms

All badge applicants are required to present the following completed forms. These forms are available from the Airport Badging Office.

• CBP Form 3078 (Application For Identification Card):  No photo is required. 
• Security Access Request Form:  Completed by employer and signed by an authorized person (the authorized person must have a signature on file with the City/Houston Airports). The form must specify the required information such as job description along with the type of access needed/requested.
• City/Houston Airport System Forms:  You will need to bring your Houston Airports Badge Application Forms (see Forms section). The Airport Badging Office will provide you with the paperwork required during the badging process and refer you to Customs at the appropriate time.

What You Need To Bring

The application process requires two (2) major forms of identification:

• State issued ID card or Driver's License; AND one of the following:
• Social Security Card
• Active Military ID card
• Medical card displaying social security number

Foreign Born Applicants

If a foreign born applicant IS a U.S. citizen, he/she will need to present at least one of the following original documents listed below:

• Naturalization Certificate
• U.S. Passport
• Department of Defense Certificate for birth of U.S. citizen born to military parent(s)

If a foreign born applicant IS NOT a U.S. citizen, he/she will need to present at least one of the following original documents listed below:

• I-551 Resident Alien Card 
• Form I-688 Employment Authorization

For changes in access authorization, please first notify your Authorized Signatory of your changed access needs. In scenarios that do not require a badge type/color change, your Authorized Signatory will notify the badging office in writing and the access list for the badge will be updated. In scenarios requiring a type/color change or added special access types, a Renewal/Replacement Badge Application Form must be completed, marked as a “change” and signed.

IAH Badge Ready Notification Page

HOU Badge Ready Notification Page

IAH Airport Badging Office:  1-281-230-3032

HOU Airport Badging Office:  1-713-845-6500

For after-hours reporting of lost or stolen badges:

IAH Airport Communications Center: 1-281-230-1300

HOU Airport Communications Center 1-713-845-6555