New Identification needed for Travel

Secure Flight and You Beginning in mid-2009, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require you to provide your: full name; date of birth; and, gender as shown on the identification document that you plan to present at airport security check-points. Providing this information is not optional and should be presented at the time of booking.

The purpose of collecting this information is to allow TSA to perform terrorist watch list matching that is currently being done by each airline. Failure to provide the required elements in advance could: (1) inhibit your ability to get a boarding pass either at home or at the airport until the information has been provided; and, (2) require you to undergo additional airport security screening.

If you have a name similar to, or the same as, a name on the current terrorist watch list, and have experienced secondary screening at airports, you will have the option of providing your Redress Number at the time of booking to prevent secondary security screening. A Redress Number is a unique number that helps TSA eliminate watch list misidentification. If you encounter watch list misidentifications, you can go to DHSTrip.gov to apply for a Redress Number.

Tips
Contact your travel agent to update your profile with your full name, date of birth and gender. Also provide your Redress Number if you have one.
You should begin making reservations using your full name and, when applicable, provide your date of birth and gender. All data elements should match exactly the ID you plan to present at the airport. For example, if your state-issued drivers license lists your name as Anthony Q Public, then your reservation must be booked as Anthony Q Public, not Tony Q Public or A. Quinn Public. If your full middle name is on the ID, you must include your full middle name in the reservation.

Verify your name on your frequent traveler profiles. If you signed up for frequent traveler programs using a nick name or a name other than your name as shown on your identification, you should contact each frequent traveler program to update your name to match Secure Flight's full name requirement. For example, frequent traveler program participant Tony Q Public should update his frequent flyer profiles to Anthony Q Public so that he does not jeopardize receiving credit when traveling under his full name as required by Secure Flight.

If you use your state-issued ID card for some trips and your passport for other trips, check to see if the names match exactly, as passports often include full middle names and a state issued ID cards may only include a middle initial. If the names do not match exactly, for each trip you must remember to use the name format of the identifying document that you plan to use.

Be sure to bring your valid government-issued documentation when flying.

Visit TSA.gov for updates on Secure Flight.