Lost passport. How can I fly home next week?

November 17, 2015 6:18 PM

I'm in New York, supposed to fly to Minneapolis for Thanksgiving next week (flight is Monday but I could bump back). I'm an American citizen, but I don't have a driver's license and I lost my passport yesterday. Is there anything I can do?

I'll mention too that most of my official documents (birth certificate, social security card) are in Minneapolis with my family.

Any ideas welcome! Thank you!

posted by vecchio to Travel & Transportation (23 answers total)

Best answer: You can fly without ID.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 6:23 PM on November 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

http://blog.tsa.gov/2013/04/tsa-travel-tips-tuesday-can-you-fly.html

The above is little outdated, but would check TSA web site for up-to-date details. I know that I've travelled without showing an ID since 9/11, but that was several years ago. I did just to prove a point to a boss of mine, but it was doable and maybe not advisable.
posted by zeikka at 6:24 PM on November 17, 2015

It's OK, says the TSA.
posted by dayintoday at 6:24 PM on November 17, 2015

I lost my passport in the Netherlands, went to the U.S. embassy, and got a new one within 48 hours. Have your family scan and email you copies of your birth certificate and social. Do you have a copy of your original passport? Worst case, I don't think you technically need photo ID to fly, especially domestically. I did it several years ago (though post-9/11). But that doesn't mean it will be easy.
posted by kat518 at 6:25 PM on November 17, 2015

I accidentally left my wallet at home and was able to get through TSA on the strength of having my checkbook and a prescription bottle with my name on it. I had to do an "enhanced pat-down" one way, but the other way they didn't bother. If you have any sort of photo ID, that would help, but they actually can let you on without it. I would recommend showing up very early, but I did that and then had to wait around for a long time.

Having said that, I'm white and female, and the usual disclaimers about white privilege bullshit probably apply.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:26 PM on November 17, 2015

Oh, I should add: I did that about two years ago.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:27 PM on November 17, 2015

At the expedited passport agency you can get a new passport in as little as a few hours.
posted by littlewater at 6:27 PM on November 17, 2015

FYI the passport I received in the Netherlands was a temporary travel document to get me home. So I still got a little extra scrutiny at the airport. Also regarding the time I flew without ID: I'm a white female and at the time, I was a sobbing pathetic mess after dropping my wallet on the bus to the airport. I think a large Southwest customer service agent gave me a big bear hug so I'd stop sniveling. And I still got groped by TSA. YMMV.
posted by kat518 at 6:37 PM on November 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Amazing! Thank you! That's a huge weight off.

Does anybody else have experience flying without an ID? Any thoughts of what I should bring with me?
posted by vecchio at 6:38 PM on November 17, 2015

I flew without id a few years ago. I accidentally had my expired license in my wallet and my new one at home (it was not newly expired either). They looked at every other non-photo id in my wallet though I'm unsure if that helped anything. They said I was ok and said I'd be ok coming back and I was--no questions on the way back. This was between Boston and DC.
posted by jdl at 6:55 PM on November 17, 2015

It will help if you bring some other ID with you photo on it: school ID, work ID, etc.
posted by SLC Mom at 7:03 PM on November 17, 2015

You can absolutely fly without ID. But more importantly, you can get a non-driver state ID for considerably less time/expense/hassle than a replacement passport. The one in my state costs like $5, and they print it immediately.
posted by SMPA at 7:03 PM on November 17, 2015 [4 favorites]

If you have other forms of ID (credit cards/etc.), bring those. Go early and be patient and calm. They will ask you a few questions about you/your family/where you live/where you're going that only you would know (but mostly, as long as you answer as honestly as you can, you should be fine. I stumbled on a few so they just asked me other ones). I was told there was a possibility my carry-on bags would be thoroughly searched but mine weren't. But I would allow for that. Mostly, be open and honest.

Everyone was pretty kind to me and it was not a terrible experience as these things go (I had lost my wallet at San Diego Comic-Con, so I really had ZERO ID on me but I think I also had the advantage that I was not the only person who was facing this at the airport). This was also about 5 years ago.

I really have little love for the TSA as an organization, but I also get most of these people are just trying to do their jobs. At least in my experience, they wanted to give me every chance to get on the plane. I think you should be fine.
posted by darksong at 7:10 PM on November 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

No problem. Enjoy your flight.
posted by nickrussell at 7:19 PM on November 17, 2015

A prescription medication bottle with your name and a recent utility bill can be enough. Ask me how I know.

Arrive early and be ridiculously polite. The TSA has a procedure for this, but letting you go through is at the discretion of the supervisor.

Have you ever gotten a credit report online? You know how they ask you questions such as: which of these four addresses is one you have lived at in the past? Or which of these credit cards do you have? They may ask you questions like that.

You can bring copies of what official docs your family can send you, but that may be overkill.
posted by ellenaim at 7:25 PM on November 17, 2015

I have flown without id and indeed without anything in my wallet. That wasn't great, but I made the flight. Leave extra time. Bring credit cards, any non-governmental id, basically anything that seems like it might be useful. They kept asking me if I had any prescription bottles, so apparently those are also useful? Be ready to answer questions like "what street did you live on in $town?" and "what month is $close-relative's birthday?"
posted by mskyle at 8:01 PM on November 17, 2015

But more importantly, you can get a non-driver state ID for considerably less time/expense/hassle than a replacement passport. The one in my state costs like $5, and they print it immediately.

Yeah, I was going to suggest this as well. As others have said, you can definitely fly without one, but it seems like it will probably be ultimately less stress free if you can go get a non-driver government ID before your flight.
posted by litera scripta manet at 8:47 PM on November 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Also remember that since you're flying on a major holiday, things will be extra slow/chaotic. Bring a sense of humor and lots of patience and as much ID-like stuff as possible.

And as someone who until recently didn't have a driver's license, I'll nth the suggestion of getting a non-driver ID. It can be really helpful in a wide variety of situations.

If you are getting a NY one, I'd also like to point out that going to the DMV is a lot less painful than it used to be. I've gone to the midtown Manhattan one two or three times and while I did bring a book with me, I didn't get through more than a couple of pages each time. They've gotten faster and they have separate lines for everything. In fact my most recent foray to a DMV in a different town I managed to make it in and out in less than 15 minutes (this I know because I had to borrow a quarter from a really nice guy (thank you anonymous DPW worker, you're awesome) to pay the meter and that was only enough for 15 minutes).
posted by sciencegeek at 2:30 AM on November 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: To build on the last answer make a reservation free and you really are in/out in 15 minutes. I recently got a NY non-driver ID and they did issue me an immediate temporary one, though it didn't have a photo on it. Had to wait a week to get it in the mail.
posted by artificialard at 6:48 AM on November 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

My husband flew without ID (similar case of a lost driver's licence in his case). They asked if he had any other photo ID, and ended up accepting an employee ID with a photo in combination with glancing through other cards in his wallet that had the same name on them (I think they looked at health insurance and library card?). Then there was no additional screening. I would leave extra time at the airport in case they do want to do more of a pat-down/thorough search of luggage (they didn't in his case.) Of course it helps to be white and very Midwestern-looking, so that's something to factor in.
posted by rainbowbrite at 7:12 AM on November 18, 2015

In NC you can get a state issued ID at the DMV and not be a driver. I've been at the DMV when folks have brought in their little kids to get ID's to travel with, so apparently no biggie.
posted by PJMoore at 7:18 AM on November 18, 2015

Best answer: When I was flying home cross country at Christmas after my wallet had been stolen, what really helped us was that we'd called the airline and let them know so they could note it at each leg of the trip. A couple of times i couldn't leave the boarding area but that was fine with me. It really did help that there was some official notation of it somewhere, so that might be worth a few minutes of your time.
posted by lemniskate at 8:15 AM on November 18, 2015

Response by poster: Amazing. Thanks everybody. I think I'll stop by the DMV too and see if I can get a non-drivers ID.
posted by vecchio at 6:46 PM on November 18, 2015