# Flying inside the US: which ID you need Source: https://www.qaravan.org/resources/documents/flying/ 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. ## Which documents TSA accepts 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 | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - The TSA list of acceptable IDs Any status The list of documents TSA accepts. Check it again before you fly: it changes without notice. [tsa.gov](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification) ## Without a suitable document: TSA ConfirmID 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. 1. 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. 2. Open the ConfirmID page On the TSA ConfirmID page, click the blue Pay Now button: it leads to [Pay.gov](https://Pay.gov). That is the only place to pay. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. Keep the receipt [Pay.gov](https://Pay.gov) emails a confirmation. Save it, screenshot it or print it. 6. 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 status Paid The official page: the $45 payment on [Pay.gov](https://Pay.gov) and answers to questions. Use only your real documents and details: TSA warns that fraud here is a federal crime. [tsa.gov](https://www.tsa.gov/confirmid) ## How to get a document that is accepted - 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. [dmv.ny.gov](https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/driver-licenses-and-the-green-light-law) - 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. [tsa.gov](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification) - 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. [dmv.ny.gov](https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/driver-licenses-and-the-green-light-law) ## If something goes wrong - 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. [tsa.gov](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification) - 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. [tsa.gov](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification) - 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. ## Glossary: definitions of special terms and abbreviations - ****: - ****: - ****: - ****: - ****: - ****: - ****: - ****: 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. [All pages: IDs and documents](https://www.qaravan.org/resources/documents/) **Sources, checked November 2026** - [dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/driver-licenses-and-the-green-light-…](https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/driver-licenses-and-the-green-light-law) - [tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification) - [tsa.gov/confirmid](https://www.tsa.gov/confirmid)