Can an 18 year old fly with a student ID?

TSA agents may ask a child how old he or she is. Those 18 and older need a government-issued ID just like everyone else -- and a student ID with a photo won't do. I recently was caught off guard when I was flying with a high school senior to Northern California to check out a college that had accepted her.



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Travelers 18 years of age or older are required to have a valid, current U.S. federal or state-issued photo ID that contains name, date of birth, gender, expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature for travel to or from a U.S. Territory (Guam, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). Expired documents are not accepted.

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Beginning May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, state-issued enhanced driver's license, or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States.

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Here are some alternative documents to try if you lost your driver's license:
  • 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.


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At that point, US travelers 18 and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, identification card, state-issued enhanced driver's license (EDL), or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States. REAL IDs also will be needed to access certain federal facilities.

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Will minors need an ID to fly domestically? Neither Southwest Airlines nor the TSA require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States. There is, however, an exception for Unaccompanied Minors traveling on Southwest Airlines.

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Wear clothing and shoes without metal, and be ready to remove your belt if it has a metal buckle. Tuck large metal jewelry pieces into your carry-on bag before you go through the security checkpoint. Put change and keys into your carry-on or empty your pockets into a plastic bin when you arrive at the checkpoint.

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You'll need to fill out an unaccompanied minor form and any necessary Customs and Immigration documents for the day of departure. This form must remain with your child during their journey. At check-in, parents / guardians will also need to provide: A birth certificate or passport as proof of the child's age.

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The officer will insert each photo ID into the CAT unit where the ID is scanned and analyzed. CAT is linked electronically to the Secure Flight database, which confirms travelers' flight details, ensuring they are ticketed for travel that day.

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School ID or Library Card — While travelers under the age of 18 aren't required to provide valid identification at TSA checkpoints, a school ID can be a suitable alternative for adult passengers. These cards generally come with a students' photo, and in some cases their date of birth or address.

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Absolutely not. A passport must be physically presented. It's originality is checked at the immigration of destination countries as also the VISA stamps.

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We may ask for age verification at any point within your journey, so you should travel with the documentation. If asked to provide proof of age and unable to do so, Customers will be required to purchase a ticket for the child.

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Employees may ask for age verification at any point, so please travel with a copy or original form of any government-issued ID, such as a birth certificate or passport for your child. A medical release for travel is required for any infant under 14 days old.

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TSA will allow you to fly with an expired license or no license at all so if the paper isn't good enough you still have options. Just give yourself a little extra time to get through security.

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For travelers 13 years and older, TSA's standard screening procedures apply.

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Generally, no ID is needed: Babies and kids (or, those under the age of 18) do not need to present any identification for domestic travel within the United States (or its territories, like Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands).

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At select Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints, you can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to present your license or ID.

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During the in-person process, the enrollment provider will collect your biometric data (fingerprints, photo), verify identity documents, and collect payment. Any website that claims to allow consumers to register for TSA PreCheck that does not end in “.gov” is not an official TSA PreCheck website.

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