Frequently Asked Questions
Questions, Concerns or Comments?
Please call the Badging and Fingerprint Office at (314)426-8095.
Thank you for your attention to these matters and have a safe day!
Q. Do I need a reservation for fingerprinting or to pickup my badge?
A. Yes effective January 22, 2024, advance reservations are required at STL. Customers need to make an online appointment for your badge renewal reservation. We now use the QLess system. Here’s a link to where to make your reservation:
https://kiosk.na8.qless.com/kiosk/app/home/102
There is also a Qless app available for cell phones. Search in the app for the St. Louis Airport Badging Office.
Q. How long does it take to complete the badging process at STL?
A. Badge applicants must complete the entire badging process and be issued their badge within 30 calendar days of their badge approval per federal regulations. There are no exceptions to this policy.
The Badging Office usually receives fingerprint results from the FBI and threat assessment results from TSA in 3-10 business days after a customer begins the badging process. These results are reviewed and adjudicated, then your employer and/or sponsoring Authorized Signatory are notified via email as to your approval status. You are encouraged to call the STL Badging and Fingerprinting Office at (314)426-8095 to check on your own badge approval status.
Q. What happens if I do not complete the badging process within 30 calendar days of my badge approval?
A. You must restart the entire badging process at your, your employer, or your Sponsoring Authority's expense:
- Bring to the badging office:
- New, completed paperwork.
- If your badge type requires fingerprinting and employee to pay for it, $40 cash or company check payable to "City of St. Louis Treasurer"; please note that the Accounting Office will not accept credit or debit cards, money orders, or personal checks.
- Your two or more government-issued identification documents,
- Do new fingerprints and new threat assessment and wait for badge approval... again. This may take another 1-2 weeks of your time.
- Retake all the computer training courses and reapply for Customs area access (as applicable).
Note: Training classes such as for Movement (red stripe atop badge), Limited Movement (orange stripe atop badge) or Non-Movement Driver Training (yellow stripe atop badge) will also need to be retaken, if applicable for the requested badge type.
Q. What are your office hours?
A. We are open
Monday - Friday. 7:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Our customer line ends at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. unless the line is very long, in which case the line may be cut off earlier to allow for proper time to process customers. Early customer line cutoff is at the discretion of the Badging Office staff members and supervisor. The Badging Office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and government holidays.
Our office is closed on these 2024 government holidays: Jan. 1 New Years holiday, Jan. 15 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Feb. 19 Presidents Day, May 27 Memorial Day, June 19 Juneteenth, July 4 Independence Day, Sept. 2 Labor Day, Nov. 11 Veterans Day honored, Nov. 28 and 29 Thanksgiving and day after it and Dec. 25 Christmas. The office closes at 2:00 p.m. on the day before the listed holiday if the day before is a Monday-Friday.
Arriving as close to the office opening times of 7:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. is always your best option for completing your badging business more quickly than later in the weekday. Line up in the hallway outside of our office. Do not sit in the hallway chairs yet. We will make an announcement over the loudspeaker of "Next customer in line". We process each customer individually at our office counter so that your personally identifiable information is protected.
Q. What government-issued identification is permitted for use at the STL Badging and Fingerprinting Office?
A. Please print the STL Badging Office Hours and List of Acceptable IDs flyer on the Forms and Documents tab for yourself, your new or renewing badge applicants, and your contractors & vendors and post these in your break rooms and on information boards at your office or company.
Help us help your badge applicants and encourage them to bring the proper, valid, required ID's every time they visit the Badging Office!
You are strongly encouraged to give a copy of the List of Acceptable IDs to anyone who needs to come to the Badging Office so they can take responsibility for checking that they bring us the correct, non-expired, valid ID's that have matching names on them. We do not accept any expired ID's or photocopies of ID's.
Q. How do I renew my badge at STL?
A. Badge renewal time frame begins the first day of the month in which your badge expires. For example, if your badge expires 12/31/2023, you can start renewing it on 12/1/2023. Renewing your badge during the first two weeks of the month in which it expires is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED because our customer lines vary moment to moment. Lines are always longer after the fifteenth day of the month and especially as the end of each month approaches, just like at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
We must cut off the line of customers early when the line is extremely long so please come to the Badging Office early in the month and early in the day so your wait may be shorter.
No badge renewals, new applications or fingerprints, or Airline Threat Assessments on Tuesdays due to SIDA Classes. The Badging and Fingerprint Office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and government holidays.
Please do not procrastinate when renewing your badge! Bring your patience when you come to the STL Badging Office because you may wait for 20 minutes or more than two hours if the customer line is very long.
Q. What paperwork and items do I need to bring to the Badging Office to renew my badge or begin a brand new applicant badging process?
A. Contact your employer and sponsoring Authorized Signer to complete Page 3 of the Badge Application and the Badge Addendum form. Your Page 3 form must be dated by your Authorized Signer and it is only valid for 30 calendar days. The Authorized Signer's signature must be original on the Page 3 form and that form can only be completed in black or blue ink. We do not accept facsimiles or PDF's via email of the Page 3 form.
As of September 1, 2019, there are additional required training classes for most renewing and new badge applicants. We provide the applicable Tenant Training Form on the Computer Trainings tab for your badge type as a reference for what training you need to do. That form does not need to be completed by your Authorized Signatory. We will also give you information to do your training when we fingerprint you if you are a brand new badge applicant.
Please complete Pages 1 & 2 of the Badge Application and your signature part of the Badge Addendum in black or blue ink. Bring your properly completed Badge Application (Pages 1, 2 & 3) and Badge Addendum form plus your face mask, two or more valid government-issued identification documents, and your expiring badge (if renewing) to the Badging and Fingerprinting Office during our normal business hours. Bring $35 cash or company check payable to "City of St. Louis Treasurer" if you are required to pay for your badge renewal and your company is not on billing with the Accounting Office.
No badge renewals, new applications or fingerprints, or Airline Threat Assessments on Tuesdays due to SIDA Classes. The Badging and Fingerprint Office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and government holidays.
Q. I no longer need my STL badge? Is it ok to keep it as a memento of my work at STL? Can I throw it in the trash or shred it?
A. No, you may not keep your STL badge when you are done working at STL, if you are terminated by your employer or if your company has completed their contract here. Do not give your badge to another person, throw it away or shred it, even if you are retiring or not expecting to come back to ever work again at STL.
The badge is Airport property as indicated on the back of your badge and it must be returned to the Badging Office. Mail it to our office in an envelope with a note as to why your badge is no longer needed. If you need us to email you a receipt for your returned badge, please write that on your note and include your email address:
Mailing address:
St. Louis Lambert International Airport
Attn: Security Operations Unit (Badging Office)
P.O. Box 10212
St. Louis, MO 63145
Q. I applied for and received a badge at STL in the past. My previous badge was not returned to the Badging and Fingerprinting Office by my previous employer or by me. Now I need to reapply for a badge because I have a different job. What do I do?
A. If more than 30 calendar days have passed between your previous badge's expiration date or its return to our office or notification to our office that you were no longer employed, you must restart the entire badging process. See explanation above for how to apply and what items to bring with you.
If your previous badge was not returned to our office, you must either bring it with you to return to us or you must pay the penalty fee associated with a Lost or Not Accounted badge. Badge holders are only permitted 3 Lost badges at STL in their entire lifetime and the penalty fees are steep and will increase soon (see fee list here).
If your previous badge was returned to our office, we will have a record of that in our system. You will still need to bring the properly completed badge application paperwork, correct IDs and fingerprint payment of $40 cash (if your requested badge type requires you to be fingerprinted and you to pay).