Will an expired state issued ID (like a driver’s license) work to board a plane with?
In my experience a couple of years ago, you will be allowed to board, but will be flagged for the more extensive search, so allow extra time for that.
You will not be able to rent a car. Made for a PITA of a buisiness trip, but got the job done OK. Now I am paranoid and check my DL every birthday.
Expired IDs are usually not legal identification.
However from www.tsa.gov
*Boarding Pass and Photo ID Required To Get to Your Gate
At most airports, a boarding pass and ID are now required to pass through the security checkpoint. TSA is consolidating passenger screening to the passenger security checkpoints in an on-going commitment to enhance security and improve customer service. Tickets and ticket confirmations (such as a travel agent or airline itineraries) will no longer be accepted at these checkpoints.
Proper Identification
If you have a paper ticket for a domestic flight, passengers age 18 and over must present one form of photo identification issued by a local state or federal government agency (e.g.: passport/drivers license/military ID), or two forms of non-photo identification, one of which must have been issued by a state or federal agency (e.g.: U.S. social security card). For an international flight, you will need to present a valid passport, visa, or any other required documentation. Passengers without proper ID may be denied boarding.
For e-tickets, you will need to show your photo identification and e-ticket receipt to receive your boarding pass.
There are four ways to obtain a boarding pass:
* Go to your airline's ticket counter at the airport
* Use curbside check-in
* Use your airline's self-service ticket kiosk in the airport lobby
* Print the boarding pass from your airline's website
Note: Persons with parental, official, medical business or similar reasons may be able to access the checkpoint, but should check with their airline for required documentation.*
Can or will?
Can it work? Sure
Will it for sure work? no
I know, I know just because your license expired doesn’t mean you exprired. But many of the TSA screeners bring new meaning to the words anal rententive.
Here is what the TSA has to say about ID
You will note the word valid is only used with the word passport. But the last line is the killer, I think. “Passengers without proper ID may be denied boarding.”
Good luck
Yeah, the valid thing seems to work in my favor.
I can also bring my birth certificate, a color photocopy of my passport (which will be inconvienently waiting for me at my destination) and various other IDs (photo bank card, etc.)
I guess I’ll have to take my chances.
It should be fine though. I seem to recall travelling with it before. And airport screeners tend to like me- I remember three days after 9/11 I had to fly out with a ticket made out to not-my-name and had no problems.
Last year flying to Las Vegas I had my expired drivers liscense and a valid paper temporary drivers liscense, the expired ID worked at every boarding over and back except one, when someone actually looked at it, I guess, heh, then the temp was accepted.
Also, I’d like to note that it takes 60 days for the CA DMV to issue an ID card, whereas Canadians can get IDs in 3-5 days.
Ugh!
The key word is “MAY” be denied. I was just watching Airline on A&E, and they had no problem letting on a customer who had no ID on him. Another customer was pretty freaked out about the whole incident and couldn’t believe they let him on. But I think she was over reacting. That person was subjected to a very thorough security screening before being able to board with no ID.
I fly every week. I would be very surprised if you would be allowed on at some airports. I can guarantee at MCI you would not be allowed through with an expired ID, because I’ve seen people turned away with expired IDs.
It’s going to be a gamble IMO. And if you lose, you’re likely out most of the cost of your plane ticket.
From personal experience, I found out when I went to get on a plane at the Salt Lake City airport that my license had expired a couple of weeks earlier. I had to dig through my wallet to find another ID. In this case I just happened to have my Social Security card in my wallet (I know, I don’t usually keep it there), which he accepted.
To answer the OP, it really depends on how vigilant the TSA people who check your ID are. If they notice, they will most likely stop you. If they don’t notice you might get past, but remember you will probably have to show your ID more than once each time you check in.
I just flew to Indy this past weekend. A woman showed her expired driver’s license and boarding pass to the TSA agent before going through the metal detector. The TSA agent said that she wouldn’t let her get on with that and asked what she showed at the ticket counter. The woman pulled out her (assumably) current passport and said she showed both at the ticket counter and got the go-ahead. It sounded to me like the TSA agent wasn’t going to allow her to board without a current ID.
A friend of mine was getting on a plane to come home from a business trip and the screener discovered that his DL was expired. After some conversation about what else he needed (a second ID) he provided his military ID from 1968. The picture didn’t much resemble him (ha) but since he’s retired military the ID is still “valid”; so he had a current picture on an “invalid” ID and an “invalid” picture on a “valid” ID, so … they let him on the plane.
Apparently the state of CA has stopped sending reminders when your DL expires, so lots of people are getting surprised like that. Checking it obsessively every birthday is probably a good idea.
I was let on in Philadelphia when I lost my license in the cab on the way to the airport. It was a minor hassle, but a college id and social security card saved me.
The cab company actually tracked me down and sent back my license, which was really cool.
I use my expired Picture License and my active non-picture license with no problems on flights. YMMV of course.
Jim
Why would it take 60 days for them to issue an ID? In DC, you get while you are there, it was the same thing in VA as well.
This is definately a state thing. I think I remember my license being mailed to me after I did the test in Florida. In Georgia they printed it while I was in the office.
Heh. Last time I tried this, they never sent me my ID, which is why I’m in this mess to begin with. The California DMV is a force to be reckoned with.
I went to the DMV today. They said it should take 2 weeks to get my ID. I’ve got 3.5 weeks until my trip. If it doesn’t come, I’ll have to consider coughing up money for train fare. It’s not really a matter of just missing a flight- I’m leaving to go live in Cameroon for two years! My passport is waiting for me all shiny and happy in Philidephia.
I wish they had clear rules on this. It doesn’t seem right to leave something so important up to whims.
Amtrak requires valid photo ID when you purchase your ticket, and can do spot-checks en route. For short-haul (unreserved) trains, it’s possible to board at a small unstaffed station and pay on board the train – in which case the conductor might not ask for ID – but that won’t work on long-distance trains, for which reservations are required.
I take it there’s a good reason why you can’t just get your new shiny, happy passport mailed to you ahead of time…
How the rules may be enforced is one matter, but as a passenger, I would say your obligations are clear. Bring a valid photo ID or two non-photo IDs, one of which was issued by a government agency. Voila.
Ya know there is this service called FedEx , that will bring it to you tomorrow. Lots cheaper than missing your flight.