How much discretion does/should a TSA agent have regarding the validity of an ID? Today I presented a valid government issued permanent residence card at the checkpoint just to have the agent tell me it is not a valid form of ID. I had used that very same ID to qualify for precheck last year. I then asked a supervisor whether "green cards" were valid forms of ID, she said yes. But then she asked to see the one I had used and started to hedge, well, it is old, we don't see these very often, I would probably ask for secondary ID. I will use that very same ID next week to enter the country without any issue. Are these guys in a bubble of their own? Did anybody have similar experience? Is there any recourse for something like that?

Why do I care? Having a MN drivers license I anticipate there soon being some grandstanding regarding its validity for travel, and I don't really want to travel with my passport, if only because it doesn' t fit into any of my wallets. In addition it would be a real hassle to replace it should it get lost. And I really don't want to spend $500 on a new card.

How did you get precheck? I got mine through Global Entry and they gave me a GE ID card which can be used for TSA.

Alternatively, if you have a US passport, you can get a Passport Card which is the size of a credit card and can be used for TSA.