Do you need passport to fly domestic

If you are a citizen of the United States of America, you might be wondering: Do I need a passport to fly domestically in my country? In this blog, we will show you what the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) ID requirements are for domestic travel, whether or not you should carry a passport when travelling within the USA, as well as the upcoming regulations in 2021. 

Indeed, the United States is a vast country with a large population; and the country has been known for different terrorist attacks, such as 9/11, which really made the country want to enhance its aerial security travel. So, if you want to know more about domestic travel, keep reading further below!

In this article you will see:

Passport photo in 3s!

Take a photo with your smartphone, upload it to the website, we will convert it to an official passport photo and send you a digital or printed version. Simple? You can’t get more convenient than that!

Do you need passport to fly domestic

Transportation Security Administration

The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has the power to guarantee the safety of passengers in the United States.

It was founded in reaction to the attacks of 11 September 2001, which exposed vulnerabilities in airport security procedures at the time. Before that, a multitude of private security agencies operated air travel security under contracts with specific airlines or groups of airlines utilizing an airport or terminal building.

Advocates of having the government in charge of airport security said that having only one federal department could better secure passenger aviation.

Mainly dealing with air transport, the TSA hires different types of people : airport screening agents, armed Federal Air Marshals on flights, mobile squads of dog handlers, and explosives experts. The TSA implements comprehensive strategies to protect all American transportation infrastructures, like highways, railroads, buses, subway networks, ports, and pipelines.

This mission is carried out in collaboration with other federal departments and local partners. However, the main focus of the TSA is on airport security and the avoidance of the hijacking of aircraft. It is responsible for inspecting passengers and luggage in more than 450 U.S. airports.

Find out more about passports from these articles:

  • Do You Need a Passport for Domestic Flights?
  • Do You Need a Passport to Fly to Scotland?
  • Do You Need a Passport to Go to Alaska?
  • Do You Need a Passport To Go To the Dominican Republic?
  • Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada by Car?
  • Help! I Lost My Passport and I Fly Tomorrow!
  • Do You Need a Passport to Go to Tulum, Mexico?

Acceptable forms of ID

The most common forms of ID to travel within the US are state-issued driving licenses or ID cards or a military ID. To fly domestically, adult passengers 18 and over must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel. The following documents are considered valid pieces of identification for a domestic flight:

  • Driver’s licenses 
  • U.S. passport
  • U.S. passport card
  • DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
  • U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
  • Permanent resident card
  • Border crossing card
  • State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
  • Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
  • HSPD-12 PIV card
  • Foreign government-issued passport
  • Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
  • Transportation worker identification credential
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card
  • U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
  • Veteran Health Identification Card 

The Passport book 

With all the different forms of ID available for domestic air travel, when should I use my passport book? Well, although you don’t need it to fly domestically, you will always need a passport to fly internationally. So, if you want to travel outside of the country, get a passport!

The difference between a Passport Card and a Passport Book

A Passport is a travel document, typically issued by the government of a country to its citizens, which certifies the identification and nationality of the holder of the passport, mainly for the purpose of international travel.

Standard passports may include information such as the name, location and date of birth of its owner, a photo, a signature as well as other related identity information. They have the same shape for every country, although colors may differ depending on the country they are from.

A U.S. Passport Card is the size of a driver’s license or credit card and it is an easy document to put in a wallet. In the United States of America, a passport card is an official national identification form and a restricted travel document issued by the federal government, precisely by the U.S. Department of State to US citizens.

It can be used as proof of ID for reasons other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. The passport card permits holders to fly by domestic air flights within the United States and to travel by land and sea within part of North America.

What you cannot do with a passport card however, is to go overseas, by international air travel. What would be equal to a Passport card in the EU in terms of use are National Identification Cards.

Latest change: REAL ID 

From October 1, 2021, you will need a REAL-ID-compliant license or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport or military ID. This comes from congress passing an act that tightened up security standards for state driver’s licenses and ID cards.

The federal REAL ID Act places new rules on which forms of identification may be used to board flights within the United States (U.S.) and enter secure federal facilities, such as military bases, federal courthouses, and other federal facilities. 

The easiest way to see if your state ID is a REAL ID, is if there’s a star in the top right corner. The availability of REAL ID varies from state to state. For more details, we suggest contacting your local government for more information. Michigan, Vermont, Minnesota, and New York states issue REAL ID and state-issued enhanced driver’s licenses, both of which are acceptable.

Washington state only issues enhanced driver’s licenses. State-issued enhanced driver’s licenses are marked with a flag. These documents will be accepted at the airport security checkpoint when the REAL ID enforcement goes into effect. Applying for a REAL ID requires proof of identity, social security number (SSN) if eligible, proof of your state of residency, and a trip to a DMV office.

REAL ID-compliant cards are marked with a star at the top of the card. If you’re not sure, contact your state driver’s license agency on how to obtain a REAL ID compliant card.

Do you need passport to fly domestic

Get a passport photo quickly – Passport Photo Online

Now that you know if what you need is a passport card or a passport book, you might have to get a new one done. For that, you will need photos that correspond to the criteria defined by authorities and we happen to have a solution that will allow you to save time and money: our mobile Android / iOS app and website Passport Photo Online.

All you have to do is take a photo of yourself with your smartphone and upload it on our passport photo converter, after choosing the type of document you are applying for (in this case US Passport Photo for example), and let the AI take care of the rest.

The background, the dimensions and the quality will be transformed so that your picture will be accepted by the competent authorities. You can take as many pictures as you want, and pay only for the perfect one! Don’t worry, you will receive a warranty of acceptance.

What are you waiting for? This is by far one of the cheapest and easiest way to get an ID photo!

Do you need passport to fly domestic

Karolina’s passion for law, technology and photography led her to PhotoAiD S.A., where for the past 3 years she has been an expert in the implementation of passport photo compliance procedures in +80 countries around the world.

Can I take a domestic flight without a passport?

As of October 2022, there are no states that require passports from U.S. citizens to fly domestically. Your airline or the TSA should never ask you to present a valid passport. Of course, you can always carry it with you for additional photo identification in case you lose your other forms of ID.

What states require passport for domestic?

Residents will need an alternative form of ID to pass through TSA security checkpoints, like a passport, military ID, or permanent resident card..
Kentucky..
Maine..
Minnesota..
Missouri..
Montana..
Oklahoma..
Pennsylvania..
South Carolina..