Random Ticket/ID Checks Following federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines, we regularly conduct random ticket verification checks onboard trains to ensure that passengers are properly ticketed. Please be prepared to show valid photo identification to a member of the onboard crew upon request.

Amtrak's 2026 policy regarding ticket names is strict: tickets are non-transferable and are only valid for the person named at the time of purchase. According to Amtrak’s current terms, a ticket is considered "void" if presented by anyone other than the individual for whom it was originally purchased. While conductors do not always check a physical ID for every single passenger on every route, they reserve the legal right to do so at any time. For "reserved" services and long-distance sleeper cars, the check is more common. If your name does not match the ticket, you can be considered "unticketed" and may be required to pay the full fare for a new ticket or be removed from the train. For 2026 travelers, a high-value "pro-tip" is that if you have a legal name change or a typo, you should call 1-800-USA-RAIL to have it corrected before your trip, as erasures or manual alterations on a ticket also render it void.