What temporary or alternative IDs are accepted by TSA if REAL ID is expired?
Executive summary
The Transportation Security Administration accepts a broad set of alternative or temporary identity documents in lieu of a REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license, including U.S. passports and passport cards, DHS trusted‑traveler cards, Department of Defense IDs, certain immigration‑related documents, federally recognized tribal IDs and more, and in many cases will accept some of those documents even if recently expired (check the TSA list for specific items) [1] [2] [3] [4]. Travelers who cannot present an acceptable ID at the checkpoint may be referred to TSA’s identity‑verification pathway — now formalized as TSA ConfirmID for a $45 fee — or routed through additional screening and National Transportation Vetting processes; a temporary state paper license is expressly not accepted as a substitute [5] [6] [4] [7].
1. What counts as an acceptable alternative to REAL ID
TSA’s published roster of acceptable IDs names U.S. passports and U.S. passport cards, DHS trusted‑traveler cards such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, Department of Defense IDs (including dependent IDs), permanent resident and border crossing cards, photo IDs issued by federally recognized tribal nations, and a range of other federal credentials (for example, certain Employment Authorization Documents and Merchant Mariner Credentials) as valid substitutes for a REAL ID at airport security checkpoints [1] [2] [3] [8].
2. Expired documents, temporary credentials, and what TSA will tolerate
TSA’s guidance permits some expired IDs to be used for screening up to two years past their printed expiration date for the specified acceptable forms of identification, but that leniency applies to the types of ID listed on TSA’s acceptable‑ID page — not to noncompliant state licenses — and travelers should consult the TSA ConfirmID/ID guidance before traveling [4] [3]. Conversely, states’ temporary paper driver’s licenses or temporary printed receipts issued by DMVs are explicitly not acceptable as standalone proof of identity at TSA checkpoints [4] [5].
3. The new paid pathway: TSA ConfirmID and what it does
For travelers who lack any listed acceptable ID, TSA has operationalized an optional identity‑verification alternative called TSA ConfirmID — available for a $45 fee for a defined travel period — which will be offered to passengers at the checkpoint who cannot present an acceptable form of ID and still wish to fly, and is intended to modernize and centralize identity verification prior to entering the security line [5] [6] [9]. TSA has warned that without a REAL ID or an accepted alternative, passengers may face additional delays or be referred to the ConfirmID process or other vetting channels, so travelers should plan for possible extra screening time [3] [7].
4. Digital and enhanced alternatives under testing or limited acceptance
TSA has been testing and, at select airports, accepting certain digital IDs and private identity services — examples cited by TSA and reporting include Apple Digital ID, Google ID passes and Clear ID — as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen identity security, but acceptance is limited and subject to change, so reliance on those options requires checking current airport participation and TSA notices [3] [10] [9].
5. Practical advice rooted in the official list and limits of this reporting
The authoritative list of acceptable alternatives is maintained on TSA.gov and travelers should consult it because accepted documents, digital pilots, and policies on expired credentials are updated periodically; where a planned alternative is not on TSA’s list, the official fallback is to either present an accepted ID (for example, a passport) or use the ConfirmID referral if available, and one should not assume a state temporary paper license will work [1] [4] [5]. This report is based on TSA’s public pages and secondary coverage; if a claim about a specific, unusual credential is needed, TSA’s identification and ConfirmID pages are the controlling sources for what will be accepted on the day of travel [1] [6] [5].