Does the TSA accept foreign driver licences?
 

I am not sure if anyone knows whether I can use my Australian licence to pass through the TSA check point or not.
The reason is that my passport is deteriorating from being over handled (both by immigration officials and by TSA) and also I don't like the way the id checkers like to flick through the passport to see where you have been - for me it is always a problem because some of the visas invariably mean I get a secondary.
I'd be grateful for any insight or experiences.

I have used driver licenses/permanent residency/origin cards from other countries to access the security checkpoint. Once in a while, a TSO will ask for a passport, but not very often.

I've had law enforcement officers at a checkpoint demand to see my driving licence in addition to the passport I presented -- my licence is from the UK, and under UK law it is illegal to use a driving licence for identification purposes, or indeed any purpose other demonstrating that you have driving privileges. I always refuse to show it on those grounds, and they grudgingly accept my refusal. I do always cheerfully offer to show my current ACLU membership card if that would be helpful for them, however.

I often used my driver's license issued by British Columbia, Canada. Once I was asked for a passport however the TSA ID checker couldn't justify why I should show a passport for domestic U.S. travel.

They didn't accept my German driver's license (at SEA or PDX, I don't remember) because there is no expiration date on it. :rolleyes:

National ID card
 

I've often been tempted to present my national ID card - for much the same reasons expressed here - overthumbing of my passports, examination of visas, entry/exit stamps which are none of TSA's business - but I haven't had sufficient time on my hands to try this yet.
My national ID card is good for travel in most of Europe, contains sufficient information, including a printed on the card photo and holograms, to identify me and is issued by a government authority

My Swiss ID card works for me, unlike my UK drivers license which has no 'picture ID'.

Some TSA folks have accepted my EU driving licence, some haven't. Depends on which airport and mood of the person checking the ID (at IAH they even accepted my Citibank photocard once instead of my foreign DL as "This licence is no good. Citi is a US bank so it is OK"):D:D

If there is no law stating that visitors have to carry their passports at all times, I guess they'll have to.

will give it a try next time I am on a US domestic, the UK (European) driving licence has plenty of little holograms and marks for them to look at and not one but two photos for their amusement. The valid from date is 13-07-03 so that should give me a few laughs while they figure out if we have 13 months to the year in Europe;);)

Here's a switch. A few years ago our luggage received extra attention at DRO AFAIK, possibly because Mrs. Fredd had used a hand cream containing glycerine (don't know if that's an urban legend or not).

At that time we resided in Canada and our US passports were deemed inadequate because they wanted something with an address on it in case we blew something up later - whatever - so we grudgingly satisfied them with our British Columbia drivers' licenses. :p

Slightly OT, but the newer UK licences just have the one photo now - and it's black and white, despite being deemed by the DVLA to be more secure (something about the image being burned in by laser).

I'll have to try using that one next time.

What the heck business is it of theirs where you've been, anyway? Isn't that Immigration's job, not TSA? :confused:

There actually is such a law. It's sort of silly, though--citizens aren't required to carry around proof of citizenship, so who's to say an individual is subject to the law?

I'd love to try my Greek ID card (old version, with everything in Greek, obviously!) on them :D