Flying inside the US: which ID you need
To board a flight inside the US, adults (18 and over) show a document from the TSA list at airport security. A standard New York license is not on it.
This is about flights inside the US. Before any trip abroad, talk to an immigration lawyer: the effect on your case depends on your situation.
TSA warns the list can change without notice: check it before you fly.
Start here
- Adults need a document from the TSA list; children under 18 don't on domestic flights.
- A foreign passport, EAD, green card and a REAL ID license or ID all work. A standard New York license does not.
- Without one, you can pay $45 in advance for TSA ConfirmID: TSA will try to verify who you are, with no guarantee.
At the security checkpoint they check your ID and bags. TSA accepts documents from its list, and the list changes without notice.
Whether TSA accepts the document at the security checkpoint
| Accepted? | What to know | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign passport | Yes | A passport issued by a foreign government |
| EAD (card I-766) | Yes | The work permit card from USCIS |
| Green card (permanent resident card) | Yes | The U.S. permanent resident card |
| Driver's license or State ID marked REAL ID | Yes | If you're not sure your document is REAL ID, ask the DMV |
| Enhanced driver's license or Enhanced ID | Yes | A State license or ID with extra protections, a separate kind of document |
| Ordinary New York license or ID ("NOT FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES") | No | Since May 7, 2025, State licenses and IDs that do not comply with REAL ID are not accepted at the checkpoint |
| Temporary driver's license (the paper you get on the day of the DMV visit) | No | TSA states directly that a temporary license is not accepted |
| IDNYC | Not on the list | The City's photo ID card is not named among the documents TSA accepts |
| Immigration case papers (notices, filing receipts) | Not on the list | TSA does not name them among the accepted documents |
| An expired document from the list | Yes, up to 2 years | TSA accepts expired documents from its list for two years after expiration |
| A child under 18 | No document needed | For travel inside the United States. Ask the airline about its own rules for children |
The TSA list of acceptable IDs
Any status
The list of documents TSA accepts. Check it again before you fly: it changes without notice.
Since February 1, 2026, if you can't show an accepted document, TSA offers TSA ConfirmID for $45: after payment it tries to verify your identity so you can pass security. It is optional and not guaranteed.
Decide ahead of time
Pay before you go to the airport. Without an accepted document or ConfirmID you may be stopped at security and miss your flight.
Open the ConfirmID page
On the TSA ConfirmID page, click the blue Pay Now button: it leads to Pay.gov. That is the only place to pay.
Enter the traveler's details
Enter the traveler's name as on their documents and the trip start date: payment is valid for 10 days from it. Check the date and email before paying. Anyone can pay for the traveler, but their details must be correct.
Pay the $45 fee
Pay by bank account (ACH), debit or credit card, Venmo or PayPal. Each adult without an accepted document goes through ConfirmID and pays separately. The name on the card doesn't have to match the traveler's.
Keep the receipt
Pay.gov emails a confirmation. Save it, screenshot it or print it.
Show the receipt at the checkpoint
Show the TSA officer the receipt on paper or on your phone: that starts the check. ConfirmID is valid 10 days from the trip date on the receipt. If your identity can't be verified, you won't get through.
TSA ConfirmID
Any statusPaid
The official page: the $45 payment on Pay.gov and answers to questions. Use only your real documents and details: TSA warns that fraud here is a federal crime.
REAL ID in New York State
Any status
The DMV issues REAL IDs. You need proof of SSN (or a Social Security Administration letter that you are not eligible), proof of citizenship or lawful status, two proofs of address and 6 name points.
The EAD card
With a work permit (EAD)
A valid EAD card works for flying. If it's lost or damaged, you can replace it through USCIS.
If you got your license under the Green Light Law
Any status
Green Light Law licenses are standard ones marked “NOT FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES”: the DMV says plainly you can't board a domestic flight with them.
You were not let through the checkpoint
Any status
If your identity can't be verified, you won't pass security. Ask the airline how to change your flight.
The name differs between your ID and your ticket
Any status
TSA accepts differences in name suffixes, such as Jr. or III, between the boarding pass and the document.
A case in immigration court or questions about your status
Any status
In April 2026 Reuters, citing internal ICE data, reported that from January 2025 to February 2026 TSA passed ICE information on more than 31,000 travelers, and these tips led ICE to arrest more than 800 people; Reuters could not tell how many of the arrests were at airports, but the tips helped show when a person would fly. If you have an immigration court case or your status is uncertain, talk to an immigration lawyer before any trip, including inside the US.
- TSA
- The Transportation Security Administration: the federal agency that screens passengers at airport security checkpoints.
- Security checkpoint
- The place in the airport where your document and belongings are checked before boarding.
- REAL ID
- A license or ID that meets the federal REAL ID Act; TSA accepts such a document.
- Enhanced driver's license
- A State license with extra protections; TSA accepts it.
- EAD
- Employment Authorization Document: the card that gives permission to work in the United States (Form I-766), issued by the federal agency USCIS.
- Green card
- The U.S. permanent resident card.
- TSA ConfirmID
- A $45 identity verification for people without an accepted document; there is no guarantee TSA can confirm identity.
- Pay.gov
- The site where TSA ConfirmID is paid; it is the only place to pay for ConfirmID.
This is general information, not legal advice: QARAVAN has no lawyers. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice.