Flying- don’t have Real ID

[Anonymous]

So, despite me pushing my DH on this for months, he didn’t update his license or his passport.

A few weeks ago (5 or 6 maybe?) he updated his license. We’re in California where we can see that his license was mailed (according to the online information it was sent 12 days ago) but it hasn’t arrived.

Unfortunately, because I was sick and he was busy and thought the license would be here, he didn’t apply for a passport. We fly cross country very early (about 7 am) on Sunday.

Because I had a lot of miles, our two children and I are on award tickets and I paid for DH’s ticket separately. I feel like that at least gives us a little flexibility.

Today was the last day we could have paid $400 something and gone to San Francisco (about an hour) to get a rushed passport through a private company that expedites this. Now the choices I can think of follow. Which would you do? Anything I’m not thinking of?:

(1) Hope it arrives and, if not, hope his non real-ID license, his license application (showing he applied for real ID) and documents (lease etc) are able to get him through security. We’d have to do it all again returning just after new year’s or ask my friend to look for it in our mail and overnight his license if it arrives.

Also, if he can’t get through, I don’t know if we can cancel / change his flight that late. I assume not once he’s checked in? I’d be tempted to change it to a few days later.

(2) pay the company more (like $700) for expedited 2 day passport. And I think you need a post office appointment for this so not sure that works.

(3) Buy a refundable international flight and see if he can get an expedited passport appointment based on that and then cancel the flight. But a friend flying to Mexico last year could only get expedited appointments far away (none in SF) so I doubt that’s easy to do. (And it feels a bit unethical.)

[Anonymous]

When I last flew in August, they were letting people fly without Real ID. I'd take all the documents to security.

[Anonymous]

Where are you flying to?
When we apply for real ID they give you a temporary letter I thought?

[Anonymous]

Yes, as PP said, did they not give him a temporary license?

[Anonymous]

Just have him bring what he has and get there really early. They'll take him aside and ask a bunch of extra questions to verify his identity. There's no need to spend hundreds of dollars on an expedited passport.

A simple Google search would tell you this but you just want to make a big fuss I guess.

[Anonymous]

It's will be $45 to fly without a Real ID starting in Feb. For now, it's free:
https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2025/12/01/tsa-introduces-new-45-fee-option-for-travelers-without-real-id

[Anonymous]

Go without your husband since he can't handle basic adult responsibilities.

You'll just have to babysit him all trip.

[Anonymous]

It will start costing you $45 each way to fly without real ID. The monies are collected by TSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just have him bring what he has and get there really early. They'll take him aside and ask a bunch of extra questions to verify his identity. There's no need to spend hundreds of dollars on an expedited passport.

A simple Google search would tell you this but you just want to make a big fuss I guess.

Op here. Everything I see on Google says TSA *may* let you fly. Also, getting there “really early” isn’t really an option. We took a 7 am flight a few months ago and got there at 4:30 and there was already a large security line but security only opens at 4 am.

To the person who said to fly without him, that would be tempting and then just let him figure it out. It would also mean we don’t have to make the drive from my parents, siblings, and cousins in Boston to his a few days later in upstate New York. But kids and I would be sad if he weren’t with us for Christmas. His tendency to be out of sight out of mind with stuff like this is very frustrating but he does a lot for our family in other ways including taking good care of me when I got really sick recently.

Also if I go alone my whole family will spend the whole time making snide little comments and jabs about his failure to adult and I don’t want to deal with that either. It’s different when I visit parents or siblings without my DH planning to attend but since he does plan I think I’ll get judged by association.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, as PP said, did they not give him a temporary license?

Op here. He has a printed piece of paper that says it’s a temporary license, says he’s applied for real ID, and says it’s not (itself) a real ID or real ID compliant. It doesn’t have a picture on it; for instance.

[Anonymous]

I'm from a different state but I googled recent California wait times for licenses and people are reporting getting their licenses in the mail in a week or two, not 5 to 6 weeks. DmV says 3 to 4 weeks. I think he needs to call the DMV as his license may have been lost or stolen in the mail.

I don't think this is his fault. 6 weeks should have been well enough and something has gone wrong here.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure he even applied?

Surprised people play fast and loose with this stuff.

And the relatives are right; he can’t adult. So unattractive.

[Anonymous]

He can not fly period

Expedite the passports or don’t go

This is his fault

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He can not fly period

Expedite the passports or don’t go

This is his fault

This is my favorite kind of post here. The one where someone says something with such confidence, but it's refuted by simply looking for the relevant documentation/rules.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification

"Don’t Have Your Acceptable ID?
The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process which includes collecting information such as your name and current address to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening."

[Anonymous]

He will get deported