If you are planning on traveling soon, there’s something you’re going to need to leave behind and it might be hard to part with.
Travel protocols in airports have been changing in the last decade, with security measures becoming tighter and tighter.
However, this one rule change might annoy you.
We all know that domestic flights have a much more relaxed approach to identification processes than if you were to go to somewhere outside of the US, which makes it a lot less stressful.
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For example, you can pull anything out of your bag with your name, picture, address and date of birth and you’re all cleared to board your flight.
But that’s all changed.
Since May 7, 2025, travelers have had to use real IDs, such as a driver's license or state ID to board their domestic flights.
This means that other cards just aren’t making the cut… and one of which is a card that most flyers carry with them.
According to TSA’s Facebook post, you now can say goodbye to using your Costco cards as a form of identification, as the agency cleared the air.
TSA posted on June 4: "We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not."
Of course, some people found this response to people attempting to use their Costco cards hilarious and took to the comments to crack some jokes.
One person wrote: "I mean at least it has a STAR on it.”
Another commented: "Im pretty sure that the Costco card is stronger than some passports."
Someone else jokingly wrote: "So, you're saying we should bring you a chicken?"
Others were a little irked by the change, with one person claiming: “TSA literally asked me for 'any other form of photo ID, even a Costco card would work' when I forgot my license a few years ago.”
On June 5, TSA did go on to confirm one type of acceptable ID, which is military issued cards, writing: “Here's a question we're asked a lot: Can you travel using a military ID?
“Answer: Yes! Department of Defense IDs for active and retired military continue to be an acceptable form of ID at TSA checkpoints following the implementation of REAL ID last month.”
So, this is all down to the REAL ID Act, which was passed in 2005 following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission.
The Commission aimed to ‘set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses’ after the terrorist attacks, and it has taken over two decades to implement the processes, as per the Associated Press.
If you’re confused about what constitutes as REAL ID, the TSA's website states: "Visit your state’s driver’s licensing agency website to find out exactly what documentation is required to obtain a REAL ID. At a minimum, you must provide documentation showing: 1) Full Legal Name; 2) Date of Birth; 3) Social Security Number; 4) Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence; and 5) Lawful Status."
Britt Jones