According to the Transportation Security Administration, all passengers over 18 who are traveling via air -- even if only flying domestically -- must present federal or state-issued photo ID with the following information: name, gender, date of birth, expiration date, gender, and a tamper-resistant feature. When flying within the United States, acceptable photo IDs include a permanent resident card, military ID, driver's license or state-issued identification card, a Native American tribal photo ID or identification issued by an airline or the Transportation Security Administration. Only nonresidents of the United States need a passport to fly domestically, but U.S. residents may choose to use the passport as an acceptable form of identification.
When traveling from the United States to either Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, a simple state-issued photo ID is not sufficient. As of December 31, 2006, a passport is necessary for all U.S. citizens to fly to any of these destinations. Members of the military traveling on orders, however, are allowed to travel to these destinations without a passport. Nonresidents must also provide a valid passport to cross from the United States into these countries. Resident aliens should bring their Form I-551 (green card) as well, to ensure successful reentry into the United States.
To travel outside North America from the U.S., all airline passengers, regardless of citizenship, must show a valid passport for identification. Some countries also require a visa issued by the destination country. Travel.State.Gov provides a current list of nations requiring a visa for entry (see Resources). As with North American air travel, resident aliens should bring their green cards to ensure reentry into the United States. Failure to produce each of these documents will result in further screening and identification verification by the Transportation Security Administration and may preclude travel to the destination country.
