What ID do I need for a domestic flight?
For a domestic flight you need government-issued photo ID matching your booking. The exact document depends on the country and on your airline's own rules.
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The rule that actually matters
Your airline decides whether you get on the plane. Governments set a legal minimum, but airlines are free to be stricter than that, and most of them are.
This is why two people on the same route can be told different things. Read the ID section of your airline's conditions of carriage or your booking confirmation and carry what it names. If the flight is part of a trip with a stay booked on trip1, remember the hotel has its own ID rules on top.
United States
Adults need a REAL ID compliant state licence or ID card, marked with a star, or another document on the TSA's accepted list. That list includes a US passport, a passport card, Global Entry and other trusted traveler cards, a permanent resident card, a military ID and a foreign passport.
Passengers under 18 do not need to show ID to the TSA on domestic flights, though the airline may want proof of age for infants and unaccompanied minors.
The EU and the Schengen Area
A valid national identity card is accepted for flights within the EU and the Schengen Area, and for domestic flights inside a member state. A passport works everywhere as well.
There are no systematic border checks on internal Schengen flights, but airlines still verify identity at check-in and at the gate, and several ask for a passport or ID card even on a purely domestic route. A driving licence is often not enough here, because it does not prove nationality.
The United Kingdom
Many UK domestic flights carry no legal requirement to show identification at all. That does not mean you can turn up with nothing in your pocket.
Every UK airline sets its own policy and most now ask for photo ID on domestic routes. Some accept a driving licence or another photo document, others want a passport. Flights to and from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Ireland follow their own rules, so check those separately.
Everywhere else
Most countries follow the same pattern: a national ID card or passport for citizens and residents, and a passport for foreign visitors. Some accept a driving licence on domestic routes, many do not.
If you cannot find a clear answer, carry your passport. It is accepted for domestic travel everywhere and it removes the question entirely.
Important: The name on your ID has to match the name on your booking. Airlines do refuse boarding over a mismatch, so fix any spelling difference with the airline as early as you can.
At the hotel
Flight rules and hotel check-in rules are separate, and clearing one does not clear the other. Hotels normally want government-issued photo ID from every adult guest, and for foreign guests that usually means a passport.
ID for domestic flights - FAQ
A government-issued photo ID in the same name as your booking, and which document counts depends on the country. In the United States adults need a REAL ID compliant licence or another TSA-accepted document such as a passport. Airlines can be stricter than the legal minimum, so check your carrier's conditions too.
Only if it is REAL ID compliant, usually marked with a star, or a state enhanced licence. A standard licence without the marking is not enough on its own. A US passport, passport card, Global Entry card or permanent resident card works instead if your licence is not compliant.
Not reliably. Adults without accepted ID go through identity verification and extra screening, or can pay 45 dollars online for TSA ConfirmID, which covers a 10-day travel period. Neither guarantees you clear the checkpoint. Children under 18 travelling with an adult do not need ID for the TSA.
Many UK domestic routes have no legal ID requirement, but every airline sets its own policy and most now ask for photo ID. Some accept a driving licence, others want a passport. Flights to and from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Ireland follow their own rules, so check those separately.
Yes, for EU and Schengen citizens. A valid national identity card is accepted for flights within the EU and the Schengen Area and on domestic routes inside a member state. Airlines still check ID at check-in and the gate, and a driving licence is often not enough because it does not prove nationality.