Expired License and TSA
 

I'm flying from BUF to JAX to visit my boyfriend as a belated birthday trip. My license was set to expire 5/8/15, yet I just renewed it today, and recieved a paper copy. I highly doubt I'll get my new license by next 5/14 which is when I'm leaving for JAX. I see people saying back in 2012 and earlier that expired licenses are good up to a year.
I'm wondering if that policy has changed, and if so, if my Birth Certificate, school ID, work ID (I'm in the system due to working in a nursing home; mandatory background checks), and bank statements are good alternatives to identification.

Anything helps, thank you! Relieve my worries!

The paper copy should be fine as long as you have supporting documentation, i.e., your expired drivers license.

Even if they won't accept the paper copy, don't worry about it. It is indeed possible to fly without valid identification. Expect to go through some extra scrutiny, but that's about it.

School ID and work ID are not valid ID as far as the TSA is concerned.

The basic rule is that the ID be issued by the government, and have your picture on it.

Your birth certificate probably lacks a picture, so is not useful.

A school ID is probably good if it has a picture, and is issued by a public school.

Work ID is probably not useful unless you work for the government.

Bank statements are not issued by the government, and usually don't have a picture.

An expired driver's license would probably work, as I doubt the agent would notice, or care, that it is expired.

But I think the expired license, accompanied by proof of currency (renewal) will get you where you want to go.

I'm wondering if that policy has changed, and if so, if my Birth Certificate, school ID, work ID (I'm in the system due to working in a nursing home; mandatory background checks), and bank statements are good alternatives to identification.

I think you will be OK but if you have a passport you might bring it along just in case.

Hubby forgot his license once and talked his way through with a credit card and his ATM card. You'll be fine with what you have. Its plenty.

None of those things except the expired license will work. They don't care about your bank statements, etc.

Regarding "talking your way through" and other non-authorized IDs. The TSA and local law enforcement have the option of letting one through without standard ID - but it is up to their discretion. This practice is in place because people lose IDs while traveling all the time. Think practical. If one were in Jackson, WY and needed to fly home to Boston and their wallet was lost while in WY, they would be unable to get home if this were not the case.

This actually happened to our son. In his case they asked him a bunch of questions, looked at whatever he had - airline itinerary, outbound luggage tags, our IDs - and made a decision. But it is up to the discretion of the authorities at the airport - so I would avoid it if possible.

Wondering now that you are 2-weeks post-departure, how your TSA adventure evolved.

I've heard that about some discretion, also, but if you have the expired and paper copy of renewal, that seems fine.

I'm surprised any state doesn't issue licenses on the spot, nowadays. In my state, you never wait at all, they take your photo at the DMV and make up the license in just a few seconds, it's not that hard for them to do that with modern equipment. In fact, I don't think I even had to wait when I first got it from moving into the state, and that was a couple decades ago.