There is a short and a long answer. We have both.
The first USdriver ’s license — technically , a newspaper certification — was issued in 1899 in Troy , New Yorkto allow the owner of a horseless carriage to speed around at six miles an hour . Back then people did n’t really involve state - issued identification ; most did n’t go very far in those days , and town were little enough that you already knew your neighbors and your neighbors ' neighbors .
Today it ’s a given that along with your speech sound , keys , and wallet , somewhere on your soul will be a license or a land - put out ID . But what if , when getting ready for a flight of stairs , you fish it out of your pocketbook and realize the going date has long passed ? Or you give your license at a bar with no hope of retrieving it before you fly and are forced to habituate an old , expired ID at the drome ?
What bechance then ? Are you still able to get on the plane ?
Everything You Need to Know About International Driver’s Licenses
Where you’ll need one, how to get one, when to apply, and all the gritty details.
Can I fly with an expired license?
Surprisingly , the unretentive response is yes , with some exclusion . TSA currently accepts expired ID up to a year after expiration , for all the acceptable form of designation listedhere . That ’s not only state IDs and driver ’s licenses , but pass cards , U.S. Department of Defense IDs , foreign passports , a exposure ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation , Veteran Health Identification card , Global Entry scorecard , and more . Two important elision to take note : A weapon permit is not an satisfactory form of identification , and neither is a impermanent number one wood ’s license . It ’s got ta be the real thing .
What is a REAL ID and how does it affect me?
Beginning May 7 , 2025 , the Union government will command your state identification to be aREAL IDif you wish to utilise it as identification on a domestic flight .
“ What is important to remember is that if you have an expired permit , when you get it renewed , we strongly recommend getting a REAL ID licence , ” says Lisa Farberstein , a representative for the TSA , over email . “ Starting May 7 , 2025 , if you design to utilise your driver ’s permission to pilot within the U.S. , it will need to be a literal ID license to be valid at an airport security checkpoint . Or the traveler will demand to have one of the other acceptable word form of ID . ”
The REAL ID Act of 2005 was enacted in reply to the fire on September 11 , 2001 , to found federal criterion for obtaining designation . At that time , documentation was up to each state . “ The 19 hijacker on 9/11 had 30 freestanding driver ’s licenses and identification cards among them , ” says Farberstein . “ REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the land and the Union political science to inhibit terrorists ’ power to bilk detecting by using false or fraudulently - obtained driver ’s licenses and recognition cards . ”
Although the Act was supposed to be implement in May , 2008 , the deadline for REAL ID has been extend so many times that it experience like an omnipresent mythological being that never makes itself known . However , May 7 , 2025 is the current deadline when every air traveler 18 years of age and old must have a REAL ID- compliant driver ’s license , state - issued enhanced number one wood ’s license , or another acceptable phase of ID . TSA does not require children under 18 to allow for identification when journey within the United States .
The One-Year Countdown to Get a Real ID Is Officially On
Americans are procrastinators, but you only have a year to get this enhanced form of identification.
Can I still fly if I have no ID?
It sounds like an idiotic enquiry , and we do n’t recommend it , but it could happen . Maybe you rushed to the aerodrome and entirely bury to catch identification . Or you lost your ID on the day before you mean to fly and have no musical accompaniment ( think of , a irregular license wo n’t puzzle out ) . That ’s a dependable bummer , but it does n’t have to think of you ’re stuck on the land .
If you know you have no ID , arrive earlier than you normally would to the airport ( TSA recommends at least two hours ) and if you have them , impart forms of identification or documents that identify your name , age , and current address , incentive stage if they have a photo . A TSA agentwill postulate questionsto nail a verification cognitive process . If you pass , and your identity is confirmed , you ’ll be allowed through the screening checkpoint , with additional screening for both you and your carry - ons . Your TSA PreCheck wo n’t utilize .
Reddit drug user doodiedancan substantiate that it ’s worked . “ I ’ve flown without ID a duet times . Most recently I need it out of my wallet to take with me on a run before head to the drome . I left it in my running shorts … but I had the rest of my pocketbook with me , ” hewrites .
“ Get to MIA and the TSA broker simply asks for a couple credit cards to see if the name match the embarkment pass , ask me a few query and I ’m on my way — less than a 5 arcminute fundamental interaction . ”
So while carrying an up - to - particular date , compliant ID is always the good case scenario for getting on a domesticated flight , there are alternatives you could use like passports or Global Entry scorecard , should you find yourself headed to the airport without one . And if you have no ID at all , there are operation in place to navigate the problem . Just try not to make it a drug abuse .
