What to Do If You Lost Your ID Before Flying
You are about to fly to the airport, confident that you have followed your packing list to your T-shirt, as you climb into your carry-on luggage, and panic sets in – for some reason, your driver’s license is nowhere to be found. You rummage in your suitcase and follow your every step, but to no avail.
If you don’t have a driver’s license, know that you are not prevented from traveling – at least for domestic flights. For international flights, this will be nearly impossible, depending on the specific circumstances.
If you are flying domestically, you can easily go through security if you have sufficient documentation and show a little kindness to the TSA.
Assuming you do not have another form of identification such as a passport or Global Entry card, you should first inform the flight attendant of the situation and ask about your options. Most likely, they will point you in the direction of safety and ask you to explain your circumstances to the agent who is there. According to the TSA spokesperson we spoke to, they are likely to ask for at least two other supporting documents; these include items such as a social security card, birth certificate, bank card, or insurance card. (On a recent Reddit thread, commenters mention that they showed utility bills that also identify them.) For this reason, if you’re still at home, it’s best to package up any paperwork that might help in your case.
If that works, you will go through security (and receive a boarding pass that indicates that you have presented any kind of identity document as per Travel and Leisure ).
If you do not have identity documents
If you’re unlucky – and you’re definitely not traveling with bills or a Social Security card – be sure to head to the airport early to complete the TSA’s “identity verification” process, which includes “collecting information such as your name, current address and other personal information for confirmation of your identity. ” ( TSA website recommends at least two hours prior to departure time.)
Based on the comments on the Reddit thread pertaining to this process, the questions can be extensive and the decision to give you everything is entirely at the discretion of the TSA agent you are dealing with. For u / meisaustin, it was a fairly straightforward process.
“The TSA chief gets out his phone and rings,” they wrote. “I give him my name, date of birth and SSN. Tells me that he is going to pass me some questions, then he asks some general questions (such as a credit report) and then some general questions (which cities were my parents born in). After I answered all the questions, they gave me an extended check and then sent me on the flight. ” It should be noted that this is probably the best scenario you can expect; for other commenters, the process seemed to raise a lot more questions, although no one reported that he was denied access through the security system. However, we will not rely on this as a solution every time you forget your ID, given that the TSA may decide to deny you.
In the absence of physical copies of any identification documents, you must provide any copies of any identification that you may have hidden on your phone or in your mailbox. You can even ask a friend to take a photocopy of your ID for you, if they have access to it. (In fact, you should take a photo of your passport and driver’s license with your phone right now for safekeeping.)
We should also note that with the REAL-ID requirement coming out in October 2020, TSA’s policy may not be as lenient in the future.
If you are flying overseas
As for international flights, you are probably out of luck if you have a passport from the Ministry of Internal Affairs; If you are traveling from the United States abroad, your airline may require a passport to fly, according to a TSA spokesperson. (This means that if you’ve left it at home, you should probably return to relieve unnecessary stress; here’s our guide on how to change your flight at the last minute if you need to.)
On the other hand, if you ever get stuck abroad without a passport, contact your local embassy or consulate to obtain a temporary travel document as u / periphrasein recommends. If you notify them well in advance of departure, you may even be able to get a new passport.