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.

For domestic flights within the United States, Southwest Airlines (following TSA guidelines) does not require children under the age of 18 to show a government-issued photo ID. If your 12-year-old is traveling with an adult, their boarding pass is generally all that is needed to pass through security and board the plane. However, there are two important exceptions. First, if your child is traveling as an "Unaccompanied Minor" or a "Young Traveler" (ages 12–17 traveling alone), Southwest may ask for proof of age, such as a birth certificate or a school ID, to verify they meet the age requirements for their specific travel category. Second, if you are flying internationally, a valid passport is mandatory regardless of age. While not strictly required for domestic security, many parents in 2026 choose to carry a digital copy or a photocopy of the child’s birth certificate or a "State ID" just in case of travel disruptions or for secondary verification at the gate. It is also worth noting that if your child has their own TSA PreCheck status, they must have their own "Known Traveler Number" (KTN) entered in the reservation, as children 13 and older can no longer "ride along" on a parent's PreCheck status automatically.