Our son has a flight today, and he called us in a panic. He said there were four letters printed on his boarding pass at security: SSSS. TSA pulled him aside for extra screening, and now my husband and I are sitting at home with our phones in our hands, hearts racing.
If you’ve never heard of SSSS, you’re not alone. Most people only learn what it means when it suddenly shows up on a boarding pass.
SSSS stands for Secondary Security Screening Selection.
It does not mean arrest.
It does not mean a crime.
It does not mean your child is on some secret watch list.
It simply means the passenger was selected for extra screening before boarding.
That screening can include a longer pat-down, extra checks of carry-on bags, swabbing electronics, and a few routine questions. It takes longer and feels invasive, but it is not an accusation. Most people who get SSSS still board their flight normally once screening is complete.
Selections can happen for many reasons, including random choice, last-minute bookings, one-way tickets, international travel, or even sharing a similar name with someone else. Sometimes there’s no clear reason at all.
As parents, our minds jump straight to worst-case scenarios. Airports are loud, rushed, and impersonal, and when your child calls sounding anxious, it’s hard not to panic too.
But the truth is simple: your son is not in trouble.
In most cases, SSSS means nothing more than a delay, some frustration, and a stressful story to tell later. Sometimes the scariest letters don’t mean anything more than extra time at security — and a reminder of how hard it is to stop worrying when you’re a parent.
