At the time of booking a domestic flight, passengers must provide the following information to their airline: their name as it appears on the government-issued identification they plan to present at the time of traveling, their date of birth, gender and redress number (if applicable). This process came into force for domestic flights on August 15, 2009. A redress number is a reference number provided by the Department of Homeland Security's Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP), which is the point of contact for those people who have experienced problems progressing through security systems at transportation centers such as airports and train stations.
Before being allowed to board a domestic flight, passengers must confirm their identities by showing a form of federal or state issued photographic identification. This must state the full name, date of birth, gender and expiration date. It must also have at least one tamper-resistant feature. Accepted forms of identification are a U.S. passport, a state driver's license, a state identification card, a U.S. identification card, a border crossing card, a Native American tribal identification or a foreign government-issued passport.
If you are traveling within the U.S. with children, consult your airline on what identification is required for them at check in. In many cases, children will not need photographic identification, but the accompanying adult may need to provide the child's birth certificate to show proof of age. If a child is taking a domestic flight alone, the adult dropping the child at the airport must show identification, as must the adult who collects the child at the destination airport. In addition, the airline must be informed in advance that the child is flying alone, and must be given the contact details of the adult who is collecting the child.
