[nopeda]

I’ve had no problem getting through airport security with my current valid GA driver’s license for years, but today learned we can no longer get through with a valid driver’s license that doesn’t have a gold star on it which was never an issue before.

At this point in time it’s within 150 days of when the license will expire so I “should be” able to renew it, but it takes 2 weeks from the time you renew until you actually receive the new license and my date to fly is in only 10 days.

Don’t they take your old license when you renew, leaving you with no photo id?

Would that not make it impossible to get through security? Could it possibly be better to not renew, since there isn’t enough time to actually receive the new license, and take the old, still valid license and birth certificate and social security card and work ID with a photo on it and check stub with the last four digits of my social and…???

Or is there any other way of still possibly going on the flight? And getting back again also???

Paid for tickets to fly out of ATL to BOS 2/10/18, then back from BOS to ATL 2/14/18

Thank you for any help with this terrible situation!!!
David

[nevereconomy]

The new licences do have all kinds of security and my latest DE version does have a gold star. Can you not go into the Motor Vehicle and get an immediate renewal ?
Failing that you can se your passport as photo ID..

[FDOS_UK]

Maybe nopeda doesn’t have a passport?

In Europe, a high % of us have passports because we are likely to cross national borders, but my US experience suggests the situation is different, there.

[LuganoPirate]

I can’t comment on US requirements as I have no knowledge of this. But as a sidenote. where you could show a foreign national ID card for checking into domestic flights in South Africa, this is no longer allowed and you have to show a passport.

[nopeda]

I called the license office and there’s (so she said) no way to speed things up and get a new license or any other form of picture id in less than 2 weeks. But, after much searching and cussing I ran into things like the following suggesting there has been an extension and a valid non Real ID GA license is acceptable until 2020. If anyone feels that’s an incorrect interpretation please let me know. If you feel that it’s correct then please share it if anyone else comes crying around here about the same issue. And thank you people for your help!!!

If travelers live in a Real ID compliant state but hold a noncompliant license, they will be able to use the noncompliant license as ID until Oct. 1, 2020.
http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Government/TSA-grants-states-extension-to-meet-Real-ID-requirements

If you haven’t yet received your state’s REAL ID compliant driver’s license — the new higher-security ID that will be required to board domestic flights — you probably won’t need to worry about it for a while: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pushed the official deadline for enforcement from Jan. 22, 2018, to Oct. 1, 2020, for the 27 states that already have them available; other states have been granted extensions.
https://travel.aarp.org/articles-tips/articles/info-2018/real-id-license-fd.html

This means that if you have a driver’s license from one of the yellow-colored non-compliant states on the DHS website, your license could only be good for air travel through October 11, 2018. If you live in a green-colored compliant state, you have until Oct 2020 to be sure you have a compliant ID.
http://travelskills.com/tag/tsa/

27 states, as well as the District of Columbia, already are compliant; people in those states can use their old IDs until Oct. 1, 2020, or can use their new Real IDs as they’re issued.
http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Transportation/Air/Handful-of-Real-ID-Extensions-Pend-Prior-to-Upcoming-TSA-Deadline

Update 12/28/17: The TSA has reached out to clarify that only IDs issued by compliant states can be used until 2020. IDs issued by states with extensions are valid until October 11, 2018.

The TSA Will Continue to Accept Driver’s Licenses From All 50 States in 2018

[MartynSinclair]

Aren’t our cousins from Germany able to travel within Europe using only an ID card. No passports needed for them….

[Edski777]

As far as I am aware of the situation: within the Schengen zone only an approved photo ID is required. Living within the Schengen zone I regularly travel to places like Germany, Belgium, France, Denmark and Austria and actually only need to use my valid boarding pass at airports. Driving there is easy as well. It is just signposted that you leave one country and enter another. No identification required.

[LuganoPirate]

indeed, ID cards are valid for travel throughout the EU as well as Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland. I always use my Swiss ID card when coming to London as it’s credit card size and less bulky than a passport.

Traveling within Schengen using egates you don’t even need an ID and if they do spot checks is even valid up to 5 years after expiry.

[nevereconomy]

nopeda’s situation is just one illustration of the complexities of the Federal/State system, where most areas of governent are duplicated 50 times and often again at local level. Here you have the Feds in form of TSA asking for one thing, but only some states so far being able to supply it…
You thought the EU was complicated ?

[maxgeorge]

When you’re dealing with the dullards, bozos and bullies of the US TSA system, it’s best to keep things simple.

A passport.

[FCTraveller]

Percentage of US citizens who have a passport = 35%. Canadians = 70% and Brits = 75%.

[Author]

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