Who is responsible for ensuring that a passenger over 17 years of age is wearing a seat belt while travelling in a car? The driver when the passenger is in the front seat.

In 2026, the operating air carrier (the airline) bears the primary legal responsibility for verifying the age and identity of its passengers. This responsibility is manifested at several touchpoints: during the digital check-in process, at the bag drop counter, and most critically, during the final boarding gate scan. While the TSA (or local security) verifies identity for security purposes, the airline must ensure that the passenger matches the ticketed age for safety, liability, and international entry requirements. For travelers over 17, the airline is responsible for ensuring the passenger holds valid government-issued photo identification that matches the name on their boarding pass. If a passenger is found to be traveling under a fraudulent age category (such as a minor traveling as an adult or vice versa), the airline is the entity that will face regulatory fines and is authorized to deny boarding.