Flying within the US, ID Question!
 

My brotherr just turned 18 about a month ago, he doesn't have a State ID nor a passport, this will be his fist time traveling, will he be able to board his flight given that he only has a High School ID card but can provide SS Card / Birth Certificate along with it?.

He's travelling from Cali to NY, if they allow him to board in Cali would it be a problem for him when he is coming back from NY to Cali?

Wouldn't it be a good idea for him to get a State ID? Not just for the trip, but for general use?

oh, and since he is over 18, it seems that the school ID won't work:

http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/acceptable-ids

He *may* be allowed to fly with the SS card and Birth Certificate, but he'd be getting a lucky break if so and would have to spend extra time trying to talk the TSA into accepting those ID's. Then he'd have the same issue on the return. He needs a photo ID. Why not get him the state ID?

I'm confused and may need a bit more information here. Why doesn't he have a driver's license, or at least a learner's permit? I thought California required driver's ed? Am I missing something?

While I agree that he will almost certainly be allowed to board if he brings his student ID with a picture and a birth certificate, something here doesn't sound right to be honest. He's going to need an ID to go off to college, so he may as well get it now.

Cali is a city in Columbia as others have said.
If he has a valid birth certificate that indicates what state he was born in and the date, he should take it and get a California photo ID or a drivers license.
It's a hassle standing in line but it can be done in one day.

Just because you're required to take drivers ed doesn't mean you have to get a license.

Surely no state requires a person to take driver's ed! State ID's exist for people who can't learn to drive (because of a disability, perhaps) or just don't want to. But I'm assuming that time is the issue for the OP--the brother may be departing too soon to make getting an ID before then feasible.

I guess it depends on the state, and I don't know the situation in CA, but in some states you can show up at the DMV and get a non-driving photo ID fairly quickly, by presenting birth certificate or SS card. Tell him to call the DMV or check their website for the details.

He's in for a hassle if he tries to fly w/o a govt-issued photo ID.

"He's in for a hassle if he tries to fly w/o a govt-issued photo ID."

Make that 2 hassles: going and coming.

I am not aware of any state that will not issue you a photo ID on the spot in their DMV office. It may require a couple of hours standing in line - but can certainly be done.

And no - it's not very likely he will be allowed on the plane - or even through security - without a picture ID. And what if they let him fly outbound but not get on the return flight? What does he do then? (Children flying with parents is one thing - a grown man is something completely different.)

Thanks for the replies, yeah I told him to get his State ID but it can take up to 60 days for him to receive it. Flight is in 3 weeks I just wanted to know if there would be an alternative way in case he doesn't receive the State ID in time.

Perhaps you need to try to expedite in some way the state ID process. Have you researched that possibility?

The TSA is quite clear: the ID must have been issued by a government.

Took my dad to the CA DMV with his FL drivers license and his military discharge. He didn't pass the license test but got his ID on the spot. Took about 3 hours total.
A passport might take 60 days if you don't pay the extra to speed it up.
BTW did he register for his draft (selective service) card soon after is 18th birthday? Yes it is still the law even though no one has been drafted in decades.

CA DMV is a mess and it likely will take 60 days. Definitely not on the spot. He could actually get a passport in less time. Less than 2 weeks if he expedites. I'd think about that - since he is an adult he may encounter a lot more scrutiny than if he was a younger child.

Yeah I read about expediting the passport can be as soon as 2-3weeks perhaps that's the better option for him here.

When the OP says "Cali" he/she means "California" not "Cali, Colombia". If he were flying from Colombia, he'd have a passport and would have no ID problems whatsoever.

In terms of IDs, school issued IDs as well as Costco cards are often accepted even though they aren't on the list of accepted IDs, and if he has an official birth certificate, he may be allowed onto the plane, but this is up to the discretion of whomever is manning the checkpoint, so I think the concerns other posters have exhibited are well founded.

I'd hate for your brother to arrive at the airport and not be able to get on the plane. It might be best to get him a passport unless he can expedite a state-issued ID card in California. That would be the safest course.

http://dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#idcard

Based on the information on the CA DMV web site, it can take up to 60 days to get an ID card. They will issue a card the same day for people who have had drivers licenses previously, but if it is a new application, the ID must be mailed to the recipient.

I agree that an expidited passport is probably the best way to go at this point.

Wow - in NY you can get either a license renewal or an ID card same day. I just mean standing in line with about 400 others doing the same thing - probably 3 or 4 hours wasted - but it does work.

Last time my license renewal didn't come in the mail - and I ended up having to do this since I had to rent a car for a business trip. (License EXPRESS - 3 hours; regular DMV about 5 or 6 - but definitely same day unless there is something wrong - suspension etc.)

I think it has to do with how our licenses and IDs are printed. There are a lot of security features on them, so the printing is pretty specialized. Installing the printing machines in every office, or even a central office in each region would cost some serious money. Plus the more printing machines there are and the more people who have the blanks available to them, the more risk there is of counterfeit licenses getting out there.