Flying- don’t have Real ID

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Real ID has been a thing for a long long time. WTF is with people who don't get one?

California licenses typically renew every 5 years. Why not get one last cycle? Sheesh.

The law has been around for 20 years and went into effect in May after at least 50 ballizion warnings. Why would you wait until the last minute?

I think OP’s DH will be fine.

[Anonymous]

It does seem he should be posting, not you. He does not seem like an adult adult you should partner with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Real ID has been a thing for a long long time. WTF is with people who don't get one?

California licenses typically renew every 5 years. Why not get one last cycle? Sheesh.

The law has been around for 20 years and went into effect in May after at least 50 ballizion warnings. Why would you wait until the last minute?

I think OP’s DH will be fine.

Because the whole thing is BS, as evidenced by all the people getting waived through on vibes.

[Anonymous]

Since you are in California, wouldn't the logical assumption be that someone stole your drivers license?

Beautiful state, but sooo many other things wrong with California.

[Anonymous]

You cannot fly domestically without real id or a valid passport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You cannot fly domestically without real id or a valid passport.

Yes, you can. Yes, an adult should have their act together and not wait to the last minute after years upon years of warnings but the government knows that we’re children and can let you through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You cannot fly domestically without real id or a valid passport.

Always fun when you get to repost the exact same thing you posted earlier in the thread.

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/trave...tification

"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]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot fly domestically without real id or a valid passport.

Always fun when you get to repost the exact same thing you posted earlier in the thread.

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/trave...tification

"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."

Even the "valid passport" part was wrong. If you look on that TSA page, they are good for the TSA checkpoint up to 2 years after expiration.

[Anonymous]

Passport that's expired for almost 2 years is good for flying?
Real ID required... but if you don't have it, just pay $40!
Going to airport with LEASE as proof of identity?

Voting with a utily bill.

How is identifying a person such a mess in this country?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My elderly mom recently flew to see me without Real ID, and was just asked some extra questions.
However, in your position I'd stop brainstorming/emailing/searching/posting. This is his problem to solve.
It seems like you are putting a lot more energy into this than he is.

This. I'd tell him that he needs to get hs crap together now - every identifying paper he has - and organize himself for any potentional scenario at TSA. And verbalize TO HIM what you said here about the issues of going without him. He needs to know what toll this takes on you because it does reflect back on you, even if it shouldn't!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.)

He will need a passport or a real id.

[Anonymous]

Op here -
So it arrived…days ago! I put aside a pile of bills to pay on my desk and hadn’t done them yet. My husband just went through them and his ID was there! So I am annoyed he left it so late but I owe him an apology for missing it and adding to the stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.)

He will need a passport or a real id.

How many times has someone declared false info in this thread?

It's incredible!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.)

He will need a passport or a real id.

How many times has someone declared false info in this thread?

It's incredible!

In fact, over 5% of people flying right now do not have a Real ID.

https://papersplease.org/wp/2025/05/28/200000-people-a-day-fly-without-real-id/

https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2025/12/01/tsa-introduces-new-45-fee-option-for-travelers-without-real-id

"Currently, more than 94% of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms of identification"

I am willing to bet the vast majority of those have a valid license that isn't a Real ID, and the TSA checker lets them go without the added verification. Because they know it's security theater.

[Anonymous]

Just use the passport