US passports may be required in certain states for domestic flights

[heo luoi 206]

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/if-you-live-in-these-states-youll-soon-need-a-passport-for-domestic-flights

Edited September 23, 2015 by coldhands

[TBoneTX 45,288]

If indeed this is true, it's been kept quite secret, and 2016 is rather imminent if compliance by 2016 is expected.

[Expat1 971]

In related news The percentage of Americans with passports is at an all-time high at 38%......

So the 62% who don't have them won't be fouling up the airports? Sounds like a win-win to me

[khwaidee1 196]

Shortly after my wife arrived we flew up to Tahoe to go snowboarding. She hadn't gotten her green card yet and her only ID was her passport and Thai driver's license. When we flew out of Reno my wife presented her passport to the TSA agent only to be told that her visa (K-1) was expired. We said we know and we have applied for the green card. Simple right? Not so. She continued to carry on about the expired visa. I told her my wife didn't need a visa to travel from Nevada to California and that she was in the U.S. legally. The agent disagreed and had us stand aside while she called for a supervisor. Good news I thought. Wrong. The Rhodes Scholar they sent over also concluded that the visa was expired and my wife was in the U.S. illegally (Reno's airport was not an "international" one at this time so there were no CBP or ICE folks who could have helped out) I pointed out that we were flying domestically and that TSA doesn't deal with immigration issues. Bad idea. The supervisor said he was going to have to call someone and we were to wait. When he came back he told us we would be allowed to board (how nice of him) but we needed to take of the expired visa right away. We almost missed our flight. I hope the TSA will not be in charge of checking passports!

[heo luoi 206]

Wow. Thats a pretty detailed story, ugh. Did you file any notice / complaint / suggestion box ?

Shortly after my wife arrived we flew up to Tahoe to go snowboarding. She hadn't gotten her green card yet and her only ID was her passport and Thai driver's license. When we flew out of Reno my wife presented her passport to the TSA agent only to be told that her visa (K-1) was expired. We said we know and we have applied for the green card. Simple right? Not so. She continued to carry on about the expired visa. I told her my wife didn't need a visa to travel from Nevada to California and that she was in the U.S. legally. The agent disagreed and had us stand aside while she called for a supervisor. Good news I thought. Wrong. The Rhodes Scholar they sent over also concluded that the visa was expired and my wife was in the U.S. illegally (Reno's airport was not an "international" one at this time so there were no CBP or ICE folks who could have helped out) I pointed out that we were flying domestically and that TSA doesn't deal with immigration issues. Bad idea. The supervisor said he was going to have to call someone and we were to wait. When he came back he told us we would be allowed to board (how nice of him) but we needed to take of the expired visa right away. We almost missed our flight. I hope the TSA will not be in charge of checking passports!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Less sensationalistic take here: http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/09/22/minnesota-id-travel

It's not yet clear how and when the federal government will institute any policy requiring the compliant IDs. It's important to note that full implementation of the Real ID Act, including requiring a federally approved ID to board a plane, would happen "no sooner than 2016," said Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bruce Gordon.

"They have also said that they will give ample notice before that happens," Gordon said. "To date, they have not provided that notice."

and here: http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2015-09-18/how-the-real-id-act-will-change-airport-security-dhs

The news of the Real ID change has residents of these states understandably worried, but the issue isn’t as big as it seems for two reasons. First, the DHS hasn’t yet decided on the date for the restriction to begin at airports, and even the official Real ID FAQ vaguely states, “no sooner than 2016.” When it finally does take effect, there will then be a three-month grace period so the public can learn more about it and get accustomed to the new restrictions. Second, it's possible to travel domestically even without an approved form of primary identification. Travelers who've lost or forgotten their documents can advise the document checker at the TSA checkpoint, who will ask questions to determine their identity via “publicly available databases," plus possible “additional screening,” according to the TSA blog.

There have been many stories about people flying using their Costco cards, for Pete's sake. Here's a recent one: http://maphappy.org/2015/09/i-basically-used-a-costco-card-to-board-a-flight/

These states need to get it together and pass legislation to remedy the situation.

[heo luoi 206]

lolwut? My AMEX is my Costco card so I'm def good to go hehe

[khwaidee1 196]

Wow. Thats a pretty detailed story, ugh. Did you file any notice / complaint / suggestion box ?

Nah, just laughed it off and had another drink!