ATLAirport Guide

ATL security wait times: live page, hours and peak times

ATL posts live waits for five checkpoints, from 0 to 15 minutes up to 60+. Lines usually peak 5 to 9 a.m. See each checkpoint's hours and lanes.

Empty switchback queue lanes of black posts and belts in front of the main security checkpoint in the Domestic Terminal at Atlanta airport.
Main checkpoint queue lanes

ATL posts a live wait for each of its five security checkpoints, in minutes and in a color-coded band. ATL’s wait times page refreshes on its own and marks each checkpoint’s operating status. The airport says the busiest times usually fall between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. and on the days before and after holidays and long weekends.

ATL asks you to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one.

What the wait times page shows

Main, North, Lower North and South serve the Domestic Terminal. International Main serves the International Terminal. South is labeled PreCheck only.

These are ATL’s bands:

Band Wait
Low 0 to 15 minutes
Moderate 16 to 30 minutes
Busy 31 to 45 minutes
Very Busy 46 to 60 minutes
Extended 60+ (ATL’s own wording, which overlaps Very Busy)

The page shows only the current wait, with no forecast for a later hour. ATL’s tips for travelers also point you to the MyTSA app for real-time updates.

Which checkpoints are open when

Our security page lists each checkpoint’s hours. The hours below are ATL’s, with CLEAR’s lane hours beside them.

Checkpoint Lanes ATL lists ATL’s hours CLEAR’s lane hours
Main Standard 24 hours None listed
North Standard, Priority 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. None listed
Lower North Standard, CLEAR Standard 3:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
South TSA PreCheck, PreCheck Touchless ID, CLEAR with PreCheck 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
International Main Standard, TSA PreCheck Standard 4:30 a.m. to midnight, PreCheck 7 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 7 p.m. Standard and PreCheck, both 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

ATL notes that TSA screening hours are subject to change.

North is on the north side of the Domestic Terminal. South is on the south side. ATL’s pages place Main in the Domestic Terminal without naming a side. Lower North has North in its name, and ATL lists it in the Domestic Terminal.

CLEAR lists its standard lane as Domestic Terminal North. That matches ATL’s Lower North row. ATL lists Priority Screening at North and doesn’t say who qualifies, so ask your airline whether your ticket does.

ATL says you can reach every concourse and gate from any checkpoint. The International Terminal is a separate building, so for a domestic flight you’re choosing among the four Domestic Terminal checkpoints.

Early and late departures

For a late or overnight departure, use Main.

ATL’s pages don’t publish an hour-by-hour pattern, a day-of-week pattern or past waits. For any hour outside the 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. peak, check the wait times page when you leave for the airport and again when you walk in.

PreCheck

ATL’s table lists TSA PreCheck at only two checkpoints, South and International Main.

TSA says PreCheck lets you keep shoes, belts and light jackets on and leave electronics and 3-1-1 liquids in your bag. TSA’s PreCheck page also says about 99% of passengers wait less than 10 minutes. It gives no figure for ATL.

An ID problem adds minutes

ATL’s security page says a traveler without an acceptable ID, such as a REAL ID or passport, can pay $45 to try TSA ConfirmID. Mobile IDs from Google and Apple count as acceptable.

ATL’s security page puts ConfirmID at 10 to 15 minutes on average and says it could take 30 minutes or more. Staff escort you out of the line to a separate location, then you return to the checkpoint. It’s voluntary, but ATL says you may be denied access to the secure area and your flight if you decline. TSA urges paying as early as possible before you travel.

Work back from your departure time

Four stretches sit between the curb and your gate, and the wait times page covers only the third.

  1. Parking or drop-off. Our parking page lists every garage and lot with published rates, plus the cell phone lot. ATL’s holiday tips say the North and South lower roadways give quicker drop-offs and pick-ups. By MARTA, Airport Station is at the west end of the Domestic Terminal, between the north and south baggage claims, and our MARTA rail page has the fares.
  2. Check-in or bag drop. Our airlines page shows where each airline checks in.
  3. Security. Use the wait times page and the hours table above.
  4. The gate. ATL’s tips call the Plane Train the fastest way between concourses, and our terminals page shows the layout. Our flights page doesn’t show live arrivals or departures, so confirm your concourse and gate before you go, as ATL’s tips advise.

Flying international adds a building change. MARTA ends at the Domestic Terminal. MARTA’s page says to take the free shuttle bus from outside Domestic Terminal baggage claim if your airline won’t check you in for an international flight at the Domestic Terminal, and to ride the Plane Train to Concourse F if it will. Our International Terminal shuttle page has the stop. MARTA gives 15 minutes of travel time between the terminals, and the shuttles run about every 15 minutes, so build extra time into the three hours ATL asks for.

If your checkpoint shows a long wait

If another Domestic Terminal checkpoint shows a shorter band and has your lane, switch to it. Neither ATL’s wait times page nor its passenger security page gives a walking time between checkpoints. Customer Experience Representatives help at security checkpoints and answer directions questions at the Domestic Terminal west crossover and at the Plane Train in the Transportation Mall. Our information desks page lists those representatives too, plus information desks on Concourse E, Concourse F and at International Arrivals.

Sources