Actions

Transportation Security Administration

From The RadioReference Wiki

Overview

The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, was formed in 2001 and is a part of the the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Transportation Security Administration is charged with the responsibility to oversee and ensure the security of all modes of transportation within the United States. The majority of their activities center on aviation and airport security.

To aid in the fulfillment of their mission, the TSA employs approximately 45,000 Transportation Screening Officers, Federal Air Marshals, and Transportation Security Inspectors. The most common and visible employee is the Transportation Screening Officer, who are stationed at airport terminals to control access.

More information on the TSA can be found here, and here.

Scanning the Transportation Security Administration

The following is the channel plan used by the TSA's Transportation Screening Officers. As you can see, some of the channels have the same frequencies (i.e. 1 thru 4).
These channels use digital "Network Access Codes" (or NAC's) which are similar in function to PL or DPL tones.
They allow the channels to function independently from each other while still using the same frequency; the exception to this is Channel 10 which can be heard on Channel 7.

  • 2016-12 - TSA has begun making changes at various airports, some changes involve moving away from the Common $001 NAC, others involve Frequency Changes. With this change, each Airport has its own unique NAC
  • 2021-10 - TSA has begun the conversion from VHF to UHF
  • The use of encryption will vary from airport to airport.

National Radio Channel Plan

 Ch 1  172.1500 NAC 001  S1 Simplex 1
 Ch 2  172.1500 NAC 002  S1 Simplex 2
 Ch 3  172.1500 NAC 003  S1 Simplex 3
 Ch 4  172.1500 NAC 004  S1 Simplex 4
 Ch 5  172.9000 NAC 002  S2 Simplex 2
 Ch 6  169.3000 NAC 009  S3 Simplex 
 Ch 7  172.9000 NAC 001  R1 Repeater 1
 Ch 8  172.9000 NAC 002  R1 Repeater 2
 Ch 9  172.9000 NAC 003  R1 Repeater 3
 Ch 10 172.9000 NAC 001  S2 Simplex 1
 Ch 11 172.9000 NAC 003  S2 Simplex 3
 Ch 12 166.4625 PL 103.5 F1 Simplex 1 (Analog, DHS Common)
 Ch 13 166.4625 NAC 001  F1 Simplex 2 (Digital, DHS Common)
 
 *Note: Channel 6 (169.3000) was used as the input to the R1 (172.9000) repeaters
  in channels 7, 8, and 9. The use of different NAC's allows traffic on
  Channel 6 to remain seperate and function as a simplex channel without
  activating the repeater.

Some airports use frequencies which are not found in the standard national channel plan. Most times, this is done to reduce interference with other nearby airports. Sometimes, the TSA will contract their screening services out to a private security company (such is the case in San Francisco). In these rare cases, the private company may opt to use their own radios and frequencies.

Other Frequencies

 166.2875 NAC 001  Logan Int'l Airport Millimeter XRay 
 169.1625 NAC 128  Dallas/Fort Worth Int'l
 169.1625 NAC 001  Chicago O'Hare
 169.1875 Unk      Dallas/Fort Worth Int'l
 172.9000 NAC 128  Dallas Love Field (Ch 5)
 469.5000 DPL 023  San Fransisco Int'l (Security Contractor)

The TSA is now deploying their "new" analog radio fleet in an effort to make the security checkpoints at the airports "calmer". These radios have been reported to be the ICOM F-50 portable with Voice Inversion scrambling. They are being used on the existing frequencies in the ANALOG mode usually with a PL of some sort. Below are the new frequencies that have been discovered.

Analog Frequencies

 169.1625  PL 136.5  Chicago O'Hare International Airport
 169.1625  PL 131.8  Oakland Airport
 169.1625  PL 123.0  Chicago O'Hare
 169.1625  PL 136.5  Chicago O'Hare
 169.3000  Unk       Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
 169.3000  PL 123.0  Manchester Boston Regional Airport
 169.3000  PL 123.0  Tampa International Airport
 172.1500  PL 136.5  Newark Liberty International Airport
 172.1500  PL 131.8  Chicago O'Hare International Airport
 172.1500  PL 123.0  Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
 172.1500  PL 136.5  Portland International Airport
 172.1500  DPL 145   Portland International Jetport
 172.9000  PL 162.2  TF Green International Airport

Radio Codes

  • Code Bravo - security checkpoint breach
  • Code Lima - unknown (used at DCA)
  • Code 3 - supervisor needed (ORD)
  • Code 5 - security checkpoint breach (ORD)
  • 10-4 copy (ORD)
  • 10-9 repeat (ORD)
  • 10-97 radio check(ORD)
  • 10-100 - bathroom break requested (ORD)
  • CSS - supervisor needed

TSA - Data From the States Database

Alabama


Alaska


Arizona
Arkansas


California

Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  M    SMF TSA TSA Ops  P25  Federal 
172.90000  M    SMF TSA TSA Ops  P25  Federal 
166.28750  M  0BA NAC  SMF TSA TSA Ops  P25  Federal 

San Jose International Airport (SJC)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  001 NAC  SJC TSA SJC TSA  P25  Federal 

John Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  SNA TSA TSA Operations  P25  Federal 
169.30000  RM  001 NAC  SNA TSA TSA Operations  P25  Federal 


Colorado


Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  168.30000   RM  013 NAC  TSA 7 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
172.15000      M    TSA 1 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
169.16250      M    TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA) - Terminal 3 Ops  P25  Federal 
169.30000      M    TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA) - Terminal 3 Ops   P25  Federal 

Miami International Airport

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  019 NAC  TSA MIA Miami International Airport Screeners  P25  Federal 

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
406.13750  415.13750   RM    USPS Tampa 1 United States Postal Service - Tampa Aiport Facility  DMR  Federal 
163.85000      M  0CA NAC  TSA 163.05 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
166.73750      M  0CA NAC  TSA 166.7375 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
168.08750      M  0CA NAC  TSA 168.0875 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
168.83750      M  0CA NAC  TSA 168.8375 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
168.96250      M  0CA NAC  TSA 168.9625 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
169.30000      M  0CA NAC  TSA 169.300 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
172.15000      M  0CA NAC  TSA 172.150 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
172.90000      M  0CA NAC  TSA 172.900 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
406.13750  415.13750   RM    USPS Tampa 2 United States Postal Service - Tampa Aiport Facility  DMR  Federal 

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM  076 NAC  TSA Ops R1 TSA Operations  P25  Federal 

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  028 NAC  TSA 172.9 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
169.66250      RM  292 NAC  CBP-GOAA EMS CBP - GOAA EMS Dispatch Simulcast   P25  Federal 

Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
169.30000  M    TSA 169.3 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  TSA 172.9 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
172.15000  M  109 NAC  TSA 172.15 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 


Georgia

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  BM    ATL TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
172.90000  BM  001 NAC  ATL TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 


Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field (AGS)

Frequency  Type  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  BM  TSA Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 


Hawaii
Idaho


Illinois

Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   BM  1A2 NAC  TSA Midway1 TSA Ops [Ch 1]  P25  Federal 
172.15000      BM  1A2 NAC  TSA Midway2 TSA Ops [Ch 2] (Primary Use)  P25  Federal 
166.46250      M  103.5 PL  TSA Midway3 TSA Ops [Ch 3] (also P25)  FMN  Federal 
169.30000      M    TSA Midway4 TSA Ops   FMN  Federal 
406.73750  415.73750   RM  070 NAC  TSA MDW Operations (Midway Airport)  P25  Federal 

Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  TSA BMI Transportation Security Administration (TSA)   P25  Federal 

Willard Airport (CMI)

Frequency  Type  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  M  TSA Officers TSA Officers   P25  Federal 

Quad-City International Airport (MLI)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM    MLI TSA R TSA Operations  FMN  Federal 
172.85000  M  136.5 PL  MLI TSA M FAA Airwaves Navigation Maintenance  FMN  Federal 
172.15000  BM    MLI TSA 2 TSA Operations  FMN  Federal 
172.90000  BM  001 NAC  MLI TSA 3 TSA Operations [Encrypted]  FMN  Federal 


Indiana

Indianapolis International
169.3000 - analog with Voice Inversion


Iowa
Kansas


Kentucky


Louisiana
Maine


Maryland

Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) '"`UNIQ--freqsubcat-00000012-QINU`"'


Massachusetts

Logan International Airport (BOS)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
170.77500  162.87500   RM  319 NAC  ICE BOS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Ch. 5A  P25  Federal 


Michigan
Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.41250   RM  001 NAC  TSA MAIN Airport Ops  P25  Federal 
169.41250      M  001 NAC  DTW TA 1 Talkaround 1  P25  Federal 
172.15000      M  001 NAC  DTW TA 2 Talkaround 2  P25  Federal 
169.41250      M  003 NAC  DTW TA Talkaround  P25  Federal 
172.15000      M  003 NAC  DTW TA Talkaround  P25  Federal 
172.15000      M  004 NAC  DTW TA Talkaround  P25  Federal 

Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  GRR TSA Ops TSA Operations  P25  Federal 
172.15000  RM  205 NAC  GRR TSA Ops 1 TSA Operations Primary  P25  Federal 

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  BM  001 NAC  TSA DTW Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
170.16250  RM  001 NAC  CBP DTW Customs and Border Protection  P25  Federal 


Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana


Nebraska

Lincoln Municipal Airport (LNK)

Frequency  Type  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  BM  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Security 


Nevada

'"`UNIQ--freqsubcat-00000018-QINU`"'


New Hampshire

Manchester Airport (MHT)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  1A8 NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
172.90000  169.30000   RM    MHT TSA Transportation Security Administration (With Analog Speech
Inversion) 		 FM  Federal 


New Jersey
New Mexico


New York

LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 

Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  001 NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 


North Carolina

Raleigh Durham (RDU) International Airport

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
169.30000    0B2 NAC  TSA 169.3 Transportation Security Administration  P25  Federal 
166.73750  M  0B2 NAC  TSA Precheck Precheck Screeners  P25  Federal 


North Dakota


Ohio

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) '"`UNIQ--freqsubcat-0000001D-QINU`"'


Oklahoma

Will Rogers World Airport (OKC)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  001 NAC  TSA Screen 7 TSA Passenger Screening -- Ch 7 (encrypted)  P25  Federal 


Oregon

Portland International Airport (PDX)

Frequency  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  001 NAC  TSA F1 TSA A/B/C Concorse Checkpoints  P25  Federal 
172.15000  002 NAC  TSA F2 TSA International Arrivals Checkpoints  P25  Federal 
172.15000  003 NAC  TSA F3 TSA D/E Concorse Checkpoints  P25  Federal 


Pennsylvania
Rhode Island


South Carolina

Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)

Frequency  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  TSA Transportation Security Admininstration  P25  Federal 


South Dakota


Tennessee

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  BM    TSA 172.150 TSA - Operations  P25  Federal 
169.30000  RM    TSA Chan 6 TSA - Channel 6  P25  Federal 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  TSA 172.900 TSA Repeater  P25  Federal 


McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  1C6 NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 


Texas

Midland International Airport (MAF)

Frequency  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.15000  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Security 

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
410.95000  F    NWS ASOS Dat National Weather Service - Automated Surface Observing System
(ASOS) Data 		 Telm  Data 
406.73750  RM  061 NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 

San Antonio International Airport (SAT)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
406.73750  RM  0DB NAC  TSA KSAT SEC-1 SAT Airport Security 1  P25  Federal 

San Antonio International Airport '"`UNIQ--freqsubcat-00000026-QINU`"' Dallas Love Field (DAL)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000    128 NAC  TSA172.9N128 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  TSA Rptr Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
410.07500  F    NWS ASOS Dat National Weather Service (NWS) - Automated Surface Observing
System (ASOS) Data 		 Telm  Data 
413.11250  F    FAA SAWS Dat Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - Stand Alone Weather
System (SAWS) Data 		 Telm  Data 
162.30000  F    FAA 162.3 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - Data  Telm  Data 
406.73750  RM  07C NAC  DAL TSA Ops TSA Operations  P25  Federal 

El Paso International Airport (ELP) '"`UNIQ--freqsubcat-00000028-QINU`"'


Utah
Vermont


Virginia

Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)

Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  001 NAC  DCA TSA Pri Transportation Security Administration (TSA) - Primary  P25  Federal 
932.70000      F    DCA FAA 932 Federal Aviation Administration - Data  Telm  Data 
172.15000      M  136.5 PL  DCA TSA Agnt Transportation Security Administration (TSA) - Agents (Voice
Inversion) 		 FM  Federal 
410.07500      F    DCA FAA 410 Federal Aviation Administration - Data (Automated Surface
Observing System?) 		 Telm  Data 
172.90000      M  013 NAC  DCA TSA N13 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 

Richmond International Airport (RIC)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  RIC TSA Ops6 TSA Ops 6  P25  Federal 
172.15000  M  002 NAC  RIC TSA T/A TSA Simplex  P25  Federal 
172.85000  RM  001 NAC  RIC TSA/FAA TSA/FAA  P25  Federal 
172.15000  RM  0B5 NAC  RIC TSA Ops9 TSA Ops 9  P25  Federal 

Norfolk International Airport (ORF)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  RM  001 NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 


Washington
Frequency  Input   
Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
172.90000  169.30000   RM  001 NAC  TSA Tactical Tactical Operations  P25  Security 
172.15000      M  1C3 NAC  TSA Primary Spokane Primary  P25  Security 


West Virginia


Wisconsin

General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)

Frequency  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 
411.43750  M  0AF NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 
411.48750  M  0AF NAC  TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  P25  Federal 


Wyoming

Refresh this page from the latest database entry

Related Links

Return to Wiki page: Common Frequencies

Retrieved from "https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php?title=Transportation_Security_Administration&oldid=307308"