My wife has lost her drivers license and is in Rhode Island. She is scheduled to fly home (Colorado) Friday. The airline said she must have an official photo ID to be able to board. What can we do?
Have you called the airline and asked them for suggestions?
A friend’s license was stolen while she was on a trip, and she was able to fly back. She got lots of extra attention from security, however, so it would be wise to show up at the airport well ahead of time.
P.S. My friend’s case was over a year ago, though–so I suppose things could have changed. I don’t fly much.
She was supposed to do that today and will call me back this evening to tell me what they say.
I will advise her to do so. Thanks both of you for advise.
You could also contact or research your local DMV online. I had my wallet stolen while I was out of state (California) not long after 2001. The DMV ended up faxing me an official copy of my license to use in boarding the airplane and I did not have any problems. I’m sure procedures have changed since then, but it might be worth contacting the DMV to see what their policy is in these cases.
I’ve been by there and they said no go on that. I did get the phone number of the state office and will try charming them. I, however, am famous for not being very charming. But thanks for the try.
TSA will not deny you access past their checkpoint providing you honestly do not have adequate photo ID.
However, if you exercise your constitution rights and refuse to show your ID, you will be denied access, even though a federal court says travelling without adequate ID means TSA can require you to additional screening (but cannot deny you access).
When I worked for the PD not too long ago, it used to be common for people to have to get a report from us saying they reported said ID lost/stolen when trying to fly. Apparently this is something several of the airlines tell people to do, as well as the TSA personnel. Typically the officer would write a paragraph or so about the item being lost, and having run the person through mvd or whatever and that the physical descriptors match, etc. Necessary or not, I have no idea, but it might be a good thing to have.
I will pass this on to her as well and she can go by the local cop shop. Thanks, we appreciate all help.
I have had this happen to me, the TSA told me it wasn’t them but the airline. I had to have my folks overnight me a copy of my birth certificate and my work overnight me a photo ID, plus the police report.
And I lost $100 for rebooking fee, still I couldn’t even rent a car to drive home. So I was stuck.
Evidently it is the airline who decide and they do decide on a case by case basis. So after I got back I got a state ID to go with my driver’s license. So what happens to you or me may not happen to someone else evidently.
I think the question has been pretty well covered here, so maybe I can add a little something without committing a mortal sin.
I always bring my passport when I travel, even domestically, to have some back up ID. This will not, of course, help one in renting a car. Which is why, when I got a new drivers license due to a change of address, I kept the old one as a backup. (The state of Florida allows one to do this over the web, so you don’t have to turn in the old one…it is not against the law, in other words; your state may differ.)
Other consultants I have known claim they lost their license and got a duplicate, keeping original for emergencies, but I do not do this or recommen it, because I believe that WOULD be breaking the law.
Anyway, good luck to your wife; I hope she has a good resolution to this dilemma.
She has called the airlines who told her to be at the airport super early. I have faxed her a copy of her birth certificate and sent her school’s faculty ID (she’s a teacher) and her library card (it has a picture on it) next day mail. So, that added with her tendency to cry at the drop of a hat, I think she will get home OK. Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions.