Himeno

There are two documents that many people normally use to show identification. Drivers licenses and passports. Neither is made for identification purposes, they just get used for such. The expiry dates listed on those documents are there because the reason for which the document was created expires after a time. Just because my permit to drive expires one day, doesn’t mean I have a new identity the next, it just means that I need to renew that document showing that I am allowed to drive.

My primary document used to show identification doesn’t expire. It is issued and doesn’t expire until I do or the document is destroyed.

gj83

It was meant to be a joke in reference to this story

jkhuggins

It depends on what the ID is, and what features it contains.

A driver's license, after all, is a license to drive an automobile. It's not unreasonable to expect that a driver should be asked to periodically re-certify their knowledge of driving skills. The fact that it is often used as a means of verifying identity is, as has been noted elsewhere, an unfortunate side issue.

Any ID carrying a photo is, by nature, time-limited. If I present my high school ID to you, you'd barely recognize me. I've got substantially less hair, and substantially more fat. (Sigh.) If the purpose of including a photo on the ID is to help identify the bearer, the photo needs to be updated periodically.

Himeno

That's a poor example. The point of a high school ID card is to identify you as a high school student. It is only vaild while you are in high school.

mikeef

And may I add...

For Pete's sake, do not bring your social security card!

Mike

pmocek

By "ID" did you mean "identity" or "identification"? An identity never changes, and identification is a process, not an object.

Maybe you meant credentials or identity documents. Good reasons for those to expire include limiting the useful lifetime of stolen documents and allowance for improvements in features used for verifying the authenticity of such documentation. Imagine if we were bound to use documents issued before things like embedded photographs, watermarks, and holograms, were available. It's probably better to have old ones to fall off over time.

N965VJ

So far, the States where I’ve had a DL, the act of re-certifying my knowledge of operating a motor vehicle entailed nothing more that writing a check to the DMV.

hch

And of course there are countries where a drivers license doesn't expire, and is used just as a drivers license and not an defacto ID card

jkhuggins

Ok, fine ... then substitute the driver's license I was given when I was 16.

jkhuggins

Sometimes, all I have to do is write a check. Sometimes, I have to go in and take a quiz. Might depend on your record, I suppose ... or your state laws.

Jenne3215

Need to go from Orlando to Miami flying. Can I use my expired drivers license to get on a plane?

Need to go there to get my passport renewed. I am here on an F-1 student visa it expires at the end of this year. But will eventually get it renewed to continue to get my degree.

I did not get my drivers license renewed because I am graduating this semester so dont need to drive. Not taking any classes. It expired Aug.

Help anyone flown with expired DL? thanks

fpm

I saw someone (in ATL) convince the TSA guy to lethere through. She said she left all her IDs in her checked luggage. Her sister vouched for her an I guess that was good enough caseshe got through. YMMV

Is the passport expired?

From the TSA site. Does not state whether or not the DL mustbe current.

Effective June 21, 2008, adult passengers (18 and over) are required to show a U.S. federal or state-issued photo ID that contains the following: name, date of birth, gender, expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature in order to be allowed to go through the checkpoint and onto their flight.

Passengers who do not or cannot present an acceptable ID will have to provide information to the Transportation Security Officer performing Travel Document Checking duties in order to verify their identity. Passengers who are cleared through this process may be subject to additional screening. Passengers whose identity cannot be verified by TSA may not be allowed to go through the checkpoint or onto an airplane.

Acceptable IDs include:

• U.S. passport card
• DHS "Trusted Traveler" cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents)
• Permanent Resident Card
• Border Crossing Card
• DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
• Drivers Licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) that meets REAL ID benchmarks (All states are currently in compliance)
• A Native American Tribal Photo ID
• An airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
• A foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
• Non-US/Canadian citizens are not required to carry their passports if they have documents issued by the U.S. government such as Permanent Resident Cards. Those who do not should be carrying their passports while visiting the U.S.

meducate

I used to have a wallet that had a clear pocket so that I didn't have to remove my ID when going through airports. I got rid of it because nearly every time I showed the license in the wallet I had to remove it because they couldn't see the expiration date. My guess is that an expired license would be a problem, then...

Kushiro

Maybe I'm being dense, but if you need to go to renew your passport, why not use your passport as ID?

If you plan on waiting until after your passport has expired, you probably have more things to worry about than getting on a plane....


-Kush

TSORon

Good point.

Yes, you can use an expired license, as long it is not expired more than a year. But still, if you can, why not use the passport?