# New ID requirements for travel WITHIN the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2020, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360 "2020-09-23T23:46:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/21 "2020-09-25T02:26:54Z")
Nope, I did not read anything wrong. Here is the official State of Texas website about the “Gold Star” on licenses and IDs issued by the Lone Star State. > **[Texas.gov | The Official Website of the State of Texas](https://www.texas.gov/#goldstar)** > > Explore the official website of the State of Texas. We'll help you find the government services, information, and resources you need. I can understand the poster in the DL office having the incorrect date. The date is corrected on the website. But I am still chilled by the fact that a government website, from a government law enforcement agency, says that any sort of ID is required for TRAVEL WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. I realize that the reality is that it is required to board a commercial airliner, but that is NOT what the website (or the poster) says. That is not cool at all. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/22 "2020-09-25T05:41:51Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > I’m in Canada and we’ve been using our passports as ID whenever we travel within Canada and have done so for many years. Really? When I’ve flown domestically in Canada, as recently as late 2019, all I’ve needed is my driver’s license. Based on what I’ve seen in the hands of others in the boarding lineup, a lot of other people do the same. Some, of course, use their passports. As do I, if I’m flying domestically to an airport from which I’ll catch my international or transborder flight. But if I’m flying from, say, Lethbridge to Calgary to Toronto, I see no need to use my passport–my driver’s license works just fine. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/23 "2020-09-25T14:27:53Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > I guess that’s my greater point. > ANY form of ID is gameable, so making the ID requirements more stringent doesn’t change that. It just puts a greater burden on the average person. > AND it excludes a certain portion of the population. All true as far as it goes. But a more accurate formulation is. > ANY form of ID is gameable, so making the ID requirements more stringent doesn’t ~~change that~~ eliminate gaming, but if well-designed, does reduce gaming. It ~~just~~ also puts a greater burden on the average person. > AND if badly implemented it excludes a certain portion of the population. The point being that your formulation studiously ignores any possible benefit while carefully maximizing the potential downside. By assuming your conclusion you haven’t proven a thing. We can certainly discuss how well or how badly the federal legislation was written and how well or how badly the 50 states (+ DC, PR, etc.) have implemented it. IMO there’s a lot to be desired in how this was/is done. Another fertile area for debate, ref @GrassFox & @Drum_God, is what level of identity documentation passes constitutional muster? Since the Constitution doesn’t mention passports, do the Feds have any right to ever collect any info on anyone anywhere within our borders except via the anonymous census? Hellifino. But clearly chaos would ensue if suddenly everyone within in our borders from citizens to illegals and everyone in between, were suddenly completely anonymous. No IRS, no SSA, no personally identifiable data in any federal record or computer anywhere. Those aren’t the questions for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/24 "2020-09-25T14:35:34Z")
My guess is that the statement that the Real ID is required for “all travel” is a deliberate misstatement on the part of the Texas government. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/25 "2020-09-25T14:41:46Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > Why does any American need an ID to travel **WITHIN** the United States? > > If I walk from my home state of Texas into New Mexico, will some New Mexico officer say “Papers please”? When did this happen? No. It doesn’t apply to traveling in basketball either so you can stop worrying about that too. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/26 "2020-09-25T15:33:55Z")
Yeah, that Texas government document is just “full of Fail” but hey, it’s Texas. They still think the rest of the USA is foreign travel. > [@GrassFox](#): > > Real ID is needed to fix a flaw in the system. Before all you needed was a birth certificate, which could be fake to get a drivers license at any DMV office. It was easy to get someone to look the other way and issue you a license if you were in the country illegal. Once you have the DL, you could get additional ID’s. Heck, down in PR as late as FY2010 we had to void all our previously-issued “short form” birth certificates, because the faking and repurposing had simply gotten entirely out of hand. (FF to 2019-2020 and then PR-born people all over the USA were freaking out trying to get their updated certificate before Real-ID Doomsday.) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/27 "2020-09-25T15:56:09Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Yeah, that Texas government document is just “full of Fail” but hey, it’s Texas. **They still think the rest of the USA is foreign travel.** - Funny that. I always looked at it the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/28 "2020-09-25T20:40:35Z")
It’s a massive pain in Texas- like getting a passport. Basically you have to have a birth certificate or valid passport, and your old DL, and proof of residency, _just to renew your existing driver’s license_. > **[TxDPS-Real ID Document Check App](https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/RealID)** > > How to renew your Texas Driver License or ID Card ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/29 "2020-09-25T21:10:01Z")
A quick read of that Texas DMV page seems to suggest they’re requiring the Real ID verification process for anybody seeking a driver’s license or a license renewal. That’s a pain in the ass; not everyone has all of that paperwork and not everyone intends to fly. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/30 "2020-09-25T21:20:23Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > That’s a pain in the ass; not everyone has all of that paperwork and not everyone intends to fly. And there’s the fly in the ointment. Since most states will replace the DL with real ID (as opposed to having both) it effectively bars a significant portion of the populace from driving. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/31 "2020-09-26T00:16:11Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > Since most states will replace the DL with real ID (as opposed to having both) it effectively bars a significant portion of the populace from driving. I got my real ID yesterday. In New Hampshire, at least, it’s still optional as I was given the choice of a regular license instead for $3 less. If the OP doesn’t mind, can I ask a question too? Does the real ID allow you to go to/return from Canada? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/32 "2020-09-26T00:23:01Z")
Nope, that’s an enhanced license ( it’s also good for Mexico and some islands) but only five or six states issue them - and they are only valid for crossing the border by land or sea. (which is why only border states issue them) To fly, you still need a passport. ---
**Author:** ![Redcanoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b487fb/32.png) [@Redcanoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redcanoe)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/33 "2020-09-26T00:25:32Z")
Oregon has both. $40 for regular renewal, $70 for Real ID. I have a passport so I’m just getting a regular license. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/34 "2020-09-26T00:52:26Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > To fly, you still need a passport. There is the Federal [passport _card_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Passport_Card) which, like a Real ID drivers license, allows domestic air travel but not international. It also allows land or sea entry into Mexico and Canada. In addition it allows entry into a few countries in the Caribbean but you’ll have to get there by ship. Embedded in it is an RFID chip that can be read at a distance, but the only information on it is the card number. This allows the border agents to bring up the cardholders’ information on a government Db as they drive up. It is issued with an RFID-blocking sleeve. It’s a lot cheaper to get than a full passport. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/35 "2020-09-26T02:24:44Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > There is the Federal [passport _card_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Passport_Card) which, like a Real ID drivers license, allows domestic air travel but not international. It also allows land or sea entry into Mexico and Canada. > > In addition it allows entry into a few countries in the Caribbean but you’ll have to get there by ship. Right - I was talking about crossing borders and to fly across you need a passport, not the card. The passport card is a lot cheaper than a passport - but enhanced licenses allow you to cross borders under the same conditions as a passport card. And in my case, it was easier to get the enhanced license than a passport card - since I didn’t already have a passport, I would have had to make a trip to the post office, while I got the enhanced license when I was going to have to go to DMV anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/36 "2020-09-26T19:25:00Z")
Mark my words, the next step is requiring Real ID in order to vote. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/37 "2020-09-26T19:26:18Z")
But it isnt any harder to get a passport than it is a real ID, so why not get the Passport? And the Passport Card. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/38 "2020-09-26T19:29:24Z")
Why is that a flaw? Who the fuck cares if legal or illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/39 "2020-09-26T19:42:37Z")
Given that this is Texas, the pain in the ass-ness of the process is the whole point. Texas actively discriminates against those with limited resources. Poor people don’t do a lot of international travel, so they don’t get passports. But wait, there’s more. A Texas DL or ID are also two of the required ID documents acceptable in order to vote in Texas. So, making them more difficult to get makes it harder for poor people to vote. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360/40 "2020-09-26T20:03:41Z")
I think both require more documentation than a traditional, regular driver’s license, and not everyone has the documentation necessary for either. So both represent an added hassle. And I think a passport is more expensive than a driver’s license. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-id-requirements-for-travel-within-the-united-states/921360.md?page=3)