Photo I.D. for Children
 

I found a 2-year-old thread for this, but wanted to find out whether there might be new information on what is required in the way of photo i.d. for children who are flying. Our 11-year-old and his father will be jetting down to spring training in two weeks. His passport has expired and so we pursued getting some sort of standard photo i.d. Turns out our state department of transportation (PA) won't issue them for children under 12. The FAA site seems to be more interested in telling us what we can't bring on board. Our local AAA office had no clue about what i.d. might be needed, let alone where to get it.

What he does have is a photo i.d. from his school. It has a current color picture of him, his name, address and student i.d. number. I was wondering whether this might be acceptable since we had to show his birth certificate and social security card to register him for school.

Would appreciate any advice.

Why not check with your airline, since that's who'll be checking the ID? An expired passport and a school photo ID are more than most kids have, so I'd hope they would be sufficient.

I/ve been told by airlines I fly that picture IDs for children are not necessary when they are with an adult. So check with the airline.

I have flown with my children twice in the last year. My son is old enough to have a driver's license, so he is no problem. My daughter is only fourteen and has never been asked for an i.d. when going through security.

Please note that if only your husband and son are going to fly they will need a notairzed approval from you for your son to travel (airlines do this to avoid liability in cases of parent kidnapping).

I think that notarized approval for your husband to take your son only applies if they are leaving the country - that is what we have been told in the past.

As far as photo ID - have flown with our kids multiple times since 9/11 - our daughter (age 13) has never been asked for ID of any kind. Our son has a driver's lic. so he has presented that withour being asked.

Many Registrys (transportation/auto depts) in states won't issue photo IDs until a kid is of driving age (I know that applies in Massachusetts)

But don't take any of our word for it - check with the airline.

From the Delta Website. I could not find this on TSA Website but it is pretty standard. Info on the American Airlines web site is almost identical. The AA website (http://www.aa.com/content/travelInfo...veling%20Alone) does have additional info about travelling with children that may be of interest to you.

"Passengers age 18 and over must present one form of photo identification issued by a local state or federal government agency (e.g.: passport/drivers license/military ID), or two forms of non-photo identification, one of which must have been issued by a state or federal agency (e.g.: U.S. social security card). For an international flight, you will need to present a valid passport, visa, or any other required documentation. Passengers without proper ID may be denied boarding."

I too thought that the parent approval letter was ony for international travel but was checking in for a Delta flight to Florida in December and the father at the next counter was being asked for proof that the child (about 7/8 years old) was his and that the mom had okayed her being taken out of the state.

The notarized permission letter from the custodial parent is for travel outside the United States. You do not need a letter for travel within the United States.

The suggestion to check the airline site -- in this case U.S. Airways -- was a big help. Their website says that children under 18 do not need i.d., that the parent's i.d. is sufficient.Thanks all.

I have flown several times on different airlines with my 16 year old and have never been asked to show ID. We went to Canada last year and went to the trouble to have a notarized note from his dad giving his ok to take him out of the country but were never asked to see it. That said, I would rather be safe than sorry. I am in the process of replacing my son's passport which he left behind on our last flight....Besides you never know when an opportunity might arise for an international trip and you would be left trying to get a passport at the last minute!

I have a photo id with my daughter's finger prints I got through her school. In this day and age, it is not a bad idea to carry something like this with you at all times.

When my daughter went to Mexico with her aunt she was told she would need a photo ID and we went to the drivers license facility and they took her picture and gave her an ID, just not a DL. Was quite a while ago. Not sure if they still do it.

An interesting aside: in December 2003, I walked back across the border after an afternoon in Mexico with my 11 year old son, who did not have a photo ID. The customs official examined my photo ID, then asked my son what MY name was.

Neither my 13 year old daughter nor my 11 year old son needed photo IDs to fly to Hawaii last November, but I worry that that could change at any time.

Last year when my son was 17 and flying by himself, he did not need an ID. They told us only if they are 18 or older.

We fly all the time with our children, 14 and 12, and they are never required to show ID. Only when we are traveling out of the country do they need ID, and then they have their passports.