Lost ID? Can You Still Fly?
David Wilkening, Travel Mole, 7/10/2008
Like most travelers, you must have wondered: what you would do if you lost your IDs while traveling by air?
No panic necessary, says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which recently started a new system they claim will make it easier to board your plane.
You can board your flight without ID, as long as TSA officials can verify your identity.
"Establishing identification is as important as having a passenger go through a metal detector,” said spokesman Christopher White.
In the past, travelers without ID had to undergo regular screening, a whole-body pat-down and a full luggage check before they were allowed to board their flights. But the TSA's policy changed last month to focus on identity verification, according to Mr. White, who claimed the move increases public safety.
"If you're a bad guy, the last thing you want is to have your name called into a government operations center, be interviewed by the police and have a behavior-detection officer come chat with you" he said.
He said it takes an average of six minutes to verify identity.
If you lose your ID, you should arrive at the security checkpoint early, security officials say. Explain the situation to the officer at the document-checking station. You'll be asked to fill out a form including your full name and address, which officials will check against publicly available databases. If necessary, local police and TSA behavior-detection officers will interview you, and you might have to undergo additional screening. But at least you can still get on a plane without ID.