Border ContractsPublic register

United States · biometric border control

CBP Biometric Entry-Exit (air exit facial recognition)

In operation Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: Passenger or user fee

CBP uses facial recognition to confirm the identity of departing air travellers, working with airlines and airports that capture photos at the gate 1,2. GAO reported in February 2017 that CBP aimed for initial biometric exit at one airport in 2018 1. By May 2020 the system ran at 27 airports. GAO found in September 2020 that it identified over 90 percent of travellers correctly but missed a 97 percent photo capture goal, and that CBP had audited only one airline partner 2. GAO's page counts airline partners inconsistently, as more than 20 in one place and 27 in another 2. Vendor and contract values were not found.

Key terms

Buyer
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (DHS)
Vendor
Not published. CBP works with airline and airport partners for gate-level capture (GAO)
Vendor based in
Not confirmed
Signed
Not published
Duration
Not published
Value
Not published
Funding
user fee (fees on certain H-1B and L-1 visa petitions)
Fee model
Fees collected by USCIS on certain H-1B and L-1 visa petitions, paid by the petitioners, fund the programme. CBO first estimated USD 115 million a year. Collections fell to USD 26 million in FY 2022. The report says the programme has no other dedicated revenue stream.
Procurement route
Not published
System ownership
Not published
Data terms
Not published

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

  1. 27 February 2017: GAO-17-170 found CBP had run four biometric exit pilots, set 2018 as the goal for initial capability at one airport, and faced planning, infrastructure and staffing problems. No new recommendations 1
  2. 2 September 2020: GAO-20-568 found facial recognition deployed for air exit at 27 airports as of May 2020, privacy notices not consistently complete or posted, and only one of more than 20 airline partners audited. GAO made five recommendations, which DHS accepted 2
  3. GAO later closed four of the 2020 recommendations as implemented and one as not implemented, after CBP's November 2022 requirements document dropped the photo capture requirement 2
  4. 18 September 2023: CBP's spend plan to the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees projected funding shortfalls from FY 2023 and said that without new funding it must start decommissioning the Traveler Verification Service in FY 2025, with full shutdown in FY 2027. The report's text and table give different figures for some line items 3.

Sources

  1. U.S. Government Accountability Office: GAO-17-170, Border Security: DHS Has Made Progress in Planning for a Biometric Air Exit System and Reporting Overstays, but Challenges Remain (27 February 2017)
  2. U.S. Government Accountability Office: GAO-20-568, Facial Recognition: CBP and TSA are Taking Steps to Implement Programs, but CBP Should Address Privacy and System Performance Issues (2 September 2020)
  3. US Customs and Border Protection: Biometric Entry-Exit H-1B and L-1 Fees Spend Plan, Fiscal Year 2023 Report to Congress (18 September 2023)

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to [email protected]. Last checked 19 October 2026.

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