In The Wake of September 11
Tours were suspended in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks due to terrorism concerns. In September 2003 they were resumed on a limited basis for groups making prior arrangements through their congressional representatives and submitting to background checks.
Presently, a tour of the White House must be arranged through a member of Congress. Reservations may be made a maximum of six months ahead of time, and the White House encourages tours be submitted as close to six months in advance as possible as tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Anyone aged 14 or older who is offered a tour must undergo a background check. This requires providing personal information, including name, date of birth, Social Security number, and country of citizenship.
The tours take place between 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. They are self-guided and free of charge. Tours are subject to last-minute cancellation.
The process used to screen potential visitors for tours has come under fire due to concerns of identity theft that can affect potential visitors. Concerns include that those who apply to be visitors must provide their personal information to congressional offices, who request this information via email, and in turn, send the information via email to the White House. The email format that is used in this process is susceptible to interception.
Read more about this topic: White House Visitors Office
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