How to Fly Without ID and Skip Lines 61 Comments

Topics: Travel


Lose the wallet to enter the fast lane? Strange but true. (Photo: Dam)

In the world of orange alerts and terrorism, how do you fly without ID? Is it even possible?

I learned last week that–not only is it possible–it’s faster.

My wallet was stolen at ETech in San Diego 3 hours before my flight was scheduled to leave for Austin, TX. Panic set in, as I had to be on a panel the following afternoon, but I learned of a few work-arounds.

Here’s what I did, first from the hotel:

1. I took the clever Brady Forrest’s advice and printed out a little-known (outside of techies) letter from the TSA, written to Senator John Warner, that outlines protocol for flying without ID. If the airport check-in staff or security stop you, this letter and requesting a supervisor is often enough to get you onboard.

how-to-fly-without-id-tsa.png

2. I used my flight number and name to print out my boarding passes from the hotel kiosk. I wouldn’t be able to use them ultimately, but it would be helpful to prove identify.

3. I borrowed $100 from two friends for taxis, etc., and promised to immediately reimburse them through PayPal, which I could use as currency in place of my stolen credit cards and cash.

At the airport:

1. Told them very casually “Oh, by the way, I’m flying without ID today because my wallet was stolen.” They gave their condolences and marked my boarding pass for additional screening with “SSS” in bright red block letters. I checked one bag and never had to show the TSA letter.

2. Because you are now a bigger security risk, they put you in your own line! The key is to put as much in checked luggage as possible, as they will swab everything in your carry-on for explosive residue and do a quick pat down.

3. After clearing security in record time, I called the San Diego harbor police using 1-800-GOOG-411 on my cell to file a police report with an officer at the airport, which took about 10 minutes.

The officer then called up my CA driver’s license number and put it on a temporary ID card that I could use to drive (and also get served alcohol when used in combination with an old student picture ID from Berlin). Filing the police report is also important for filing claims with banks, credit cards, etc. to be reimbursed for any fraudulent charges.

I had the student ID in a second wallet where I put cards, memberships, etc. that I use infrequently, so I don’t clog up my ultra-slim wallet. This back-up wallet is stored in my backpack.

4. Used wi-fi at the terminal to cancel my cards and get replacements overnighted to a friend’s place in Austin.

The End Result — Faster without ID!

I cleared security in 5 minutes, where it took others AHEAD of me in line with ID 15-20 minutes.

I was upset that that my FlyClear biometric card had been stolen, expecting to be delayed, but perhaps the cheaper solution and equally effective time saver is to “lose” your license, or simply keep it in the wallet and tell them you’re traveling without ID.

I’ll be testing this on my return trip as well.

Just another reminder to question what you “have to” do. Oftentimes the forbidden opposite is the best solution.

Posted on March 13th, 2008

Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be -- cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration)

61 Responses to “How to Fly Without ID and Skip Lines”

  • Yes, this works!

    My ID expired, which was not caught on the flight TO but was caught on the flight BACK. They tagged me and my 2 year old daughter for additional screening.

    It was great. With a 2 year old, you can imagine that going through security is a nightmare (even though we fly often enough, I have it down pretty well). They took us aside and even talked to my daughter about what they were doing, how it would not hurt her Dora doll, etc.

    Perhaps not exactly kosher, but a great back-up plan if there is a 2 hour wait and you have to make your flight.

    ~ Elizabeth

  • Doublejack
    March 13th, 2008
    6:38 pm

    Nice! On my trip to Austin (only the second time I’ve flown since 9/11), I breezed through security in both SFO and Austin — there was no line at all on either end, and the TSA officials were friendly and upbeat. In fact,with no line, I didn’t even have time to remove my shoes and belt, get my laptop out, etc. I had to do all that while letting people go past me right on through.

    So, in short, I’m sure on my trip traveling without ID could only have slowed me down. But I appreciate your continual experimentation and reporting back. I love being better prepared, informed and more alert than those around me.

    Here’s a Tip (perhaps already covered): Flying Southwest, you can usually get the key benefit of a much more expensive Business fare (i.e., an early boarding number) by checking in online exactly 24 hours before your flight. I was able to check in at 8:30:01 a.m., Wednesday for my 8:30 a.m. Thursday flight, and got position A20 — 20th person aboard after special-needs pre-boarders. On the way back, I forgot and ended up with B32, which was at the front of the third (of 6, I think) group aboard.

  • josephcp
    March 13th, 2008
    7:03 pm

    I used to love flying without an ID simply for getting through line faster. Many airports are catching on now, though and check your ID as close towards the front of the line as possible now. Before it was possible to run through because they checked IDs at the end of the line and put you in the “Special Line”.

    Many airports (cough cough SFO) would require you to have the airline agree to having no ID first so make sure you tell the airline when getting your ticket as well.

    This is a total ninja move and completely legal (look into the supreme court decision). There’s no real security in checking IDs anyway if you think about it. As recent hacks have shown, people on the TSA no-fly list can buy a ticket under someone else’s name, do the print boarding pass at home, photoshop the name to their real name, print the ticket and go through security with their real ID.

  • josephcp
    March 13th, 2008
    7:06 pm

    Tim: Also, how do you like Fly Clear? I’m thinking about getting one, is it a real timesaver?

  • Matt
    March 13th, 2008
    7:34 pm

    Wow – I can’t even buy a ticket at my local Amtrak station without a valid ID, which I discovered after I lost my wallet this week and was stranded 25 miles away from my car. I should have flown across the county.

    I’ll have the keep this in mind next time I’m flying, though.

  • Wow, I didn’t even know that was possible. I knew that the airline system was hackable, but I didn’t know it was that flexible. I suppose they have to let people through without IDs, otherwise you’d be SOL.

    The next time I’m late for a flight I’m going to arrange to have my ID stolen :-)

    For another good airline hack, check here for a good a Dumb Little Man article about how to score free airline vouchers by reserving overbooked flights.

    Thanks Tim,
    Clay

  • Jake Fisher
    March 13th, 2008
    7:59 pm

    Tim,
    You should do a post on having an efficient wallet and how you handle keeping your wallet nice and neat.

  • Neil
    March 13th, 2008
    8:08 pm

    Hey Tim,

    it would be great if you would take a few minutes to tell us if that worked on your way home…

    It is NEVER fun to stay in those lines..

    Thanks

  • DT
    March 13th, 2008
    8:28 pm

    Tim, what a great way of turning a painful and negative situation into something great and positive.

    Well done!

  • Jennifer Bingham-Heart
    March 13th, 2008
    8:32 pm

    My condolences on the wallet and congrats on proving yet again rules are arbitrary. Very well done, thank goodness for techie info, All Hale Geeks!! I am sure having a cool head and not a total freak out at the airport helps to calm the powers that be.
    I hope you had a good time in your travels. I am thinking that joining the mile high club without ID is dangerous, could Mr. Ferriss pull that off? That would be an interesting experiment aye! ;)

    Hugs
    Jen

  • Jared Goralnick
    March 13th, 2008
    8:40 pm

    Just thought I’d throw out the solution that many already considered but isn’t always possible (and obviously wasn’t an an option since you weren’t leaving from home but had previously flown domestic)–I keep my wallet and passport separate. If you do ever find yourself sans wallet while you’re still at home or while traveling abroad, at least the other form of identification is a temporary alternative while things get sorted out.

  • Tim Ferriss
    March 13th, 2008
    9:02 pm

    Hi All,

    Thanks for the excellent comments and suggestions.

    A few asked if I like the FlyClear card. I LOVE IT. Worth 10x the price. See the link to my article on this in the post. It’s paid for itself many, many times over.

    Tim

  • Joel
    March 13th, 2008
    9:22 pm

    Does this only work in the U.S.? I live in Berlin, fly several times a weekend inside of Europe and would love to play this card sometimes!

  • marcie
    March 13th, 2008
    9:53 pm

    You are the ultimate jedi :)
    ~Marcie

  • Deckoff
    March 13th, 2008
    9:54 pm

    Good to see you at SXSW, and glad it worked out for you after all with your wallet and traveling!

    Hopefully I never lose my wallet, but some good tips here.

    Also… I posted a few photos of you at SXSW to Flickr, a couple of good ones: http://flickr.com/photos/deckoff/sets/72157604113699739/

    Cheers!

    David

  • Bedirhan
    March 13th, 2008
    11:03 pm

    Excellent post. You made losing your wallet and the resulting hijinx sound like an amazing amount of fun and discovery.

  • Jeff
    March 14th, 2008
    12:14 am

    Actually you don’t even need to lose your ID to do this. I go by middle name. I have several credit cards using my middle name, etc… . My wife accidentally bought our last set of tickets and put my middle name on the ticket which doesn’t match my official drivers license. So I had to go through the “extra” screening with bomb swabbing. I got through it all ten minutes faster than my wife and didn’t have to stand in any line as there was no one else going through extra screening. I also got a chair to put back on my shoes. On top of that, the guys doing the in depth screenings are a lot nicer. So if you want to try this without lying about losing your license just reverse your first and middle name on your ticket.

  • Sean
    March 14th, 2008
    1:09 am

    Hey Tim,

    One of the fellow lock-picking “students” from ETech. Sorry to hear about all this – I wondered what happened to you at the end there – but glad that you were still able to get out to Austin safe and sound and without too much hassle. I’ll be interested to hear how well this works on the return trip – if it’s just San Diego or it varies by airport.

    Thanks for the great talk at ETech also. I’ve already cut my e-mail and RSS consumption in half, and have intentionally disabled push e-mail on my crackberry as an experiment in personal sanity. So far it’s working ;)

    ###

    Thanks for the comment, Sean! Congrats as well for taming the e-mail beast — well done, sir :)

    Tim

  • TimW
    March 14th, 2008
    1:34 am

    I guess I am one of the few here who basically refuses to fly. I used to fly all the time, but since the stupid Security Theater Antics that have been put in place to do nothing but inconvenience travelers, and lull them into “feeling” they are secure, I’ve flown exactly….once…when attending a niece’s graduation. Even then, I’d rather have driven, but it was 2500 miles away.

    And, guess what? I don’t miss it at all. Flying domestically now seems to be the US equivalent of traveling the subway in Tokyo during rush hour. Been there. Did that. Never again.

    TimW
    Phoenix

  • caro
    March 14th, 2008
    6:53 am

    I think you should rethink the morality of considering or advocating scamming the system this way. Those safeguards are put into place for a reason – as a backup measure for people who have legitimately lost their id, as you did this time. If a service is abused, it may be taken away. Also, it probably puts a strain on the system as security has to take extra effort on your checked bags and a special lane has to be set aside to check you.

    Analogously, the welfare system is in place to help people who really need it, but is often abused by people who want free money.

    Otherwise, thanks for providing us with a good guide to not panicking when we lose our ID right before flying.

  • MARk CHAMBERS
    March 14th, 2008
    7:18 am

    Stolen wallet, oh man that sucks.

    Trust you to turn it into positive though! :)

  • peter
    March 14th, 2008
    7:18 am

    Tim, another good post! Perhaps, this is out of place, but i have developed a tendency when checking in on your blog. Before reading anything, I always open up your photo of the two lovely looking ladies, your Slovenian and British friends at the Ash/Brock/Ferriss compound in Punta.

    It doesn’t cost anything to give a compliment, right?

  • blogrdoc
    March 14th, 2008
    8:00 am

    As a regular joe, I don’t travel much and I end up having a different take on flight ‘hacks’.

    I ain’t got no place to go in a hurry. I show up at the airport 2 hours in advance to avoid lines. I’m rarely in a rush. I setup shop with my laptop, read a book, or a mag, people watch, strike up conversations with random people. I actually enjoy being at the airport! (I *hate* on the other hand, being *in* the plane, esp for short trips)

  • Allen
    March 14th, 2008
    8:46 am

    Tim you are a genius. Let us know how well this works on the return. I may start doing this all the time.

  • Skyler Tanner
    March 14th, 2008
    10:12 am

    Hello Tim,

    How are you enjoying my town? Are you tired of the men wearing women’s jeans and geometric haircuts yet? You’re a southby vet; you’re used to this by now.

    A couple years back, when I first moved to Austin, I had a temporary drivers license which functioned exactly the same as no license: no line, a quick swab and pat, and I was on my way. I’ve used it 3 times since, depending on the check-in congestion.

    Best,
    Skyler

  • Shama
    March 14th, 2008
    10:44 am

    Hi Tim,

    This goes to show you never know until you ask! People keep doing things because they feel that’s how it has to be.

    Sorry you lost your wallet. Glad you made it to Austin. We liked it! = )

  • [...] at the airport, get onto your plane faster, and get a more professional screening experience.  Lose your ID.  That’s the key to getting tagged for extra security and getting past the normal cattle chute [...]

  • Nate Green
    March 14th, 2008
    11:49 am

    This is perfect. I lost my wallet yesterday and have to get on a plane Tuesday.

    Talk about topical…

    -Nate

  • Colleen Coplick
    March 14th, 2008
    1:32 pm

    Hey – we debated the merits of twitter on the bus back from Salt Lick in Austin and talked about flying w/o id among other things. After looking around at a couple of other posts, I now get it, much more than I did on the bus. :)

    to be continued, as you say sir. ;)

  • GeoffB
    March 14th, 2008
    5:00 pm

    I recently realized my ID was expired and was plenty nervous as I had to fly. I got to the airport, waited nervously while they looked over the ID and marked SSS on the boarding pass. And then i went through a quick screening without incident. And yes, the gentleman doing the screening was efficient and professional about it. It was the same on the return trip.

    I don’t know that I got through the line any faster, but I was in relatively short lines both times, anyway. And I hope to have my new ID before I fly next, rather than them having to fuss with me. But I will give kudos to the TSA for creating a good process here.

  • Brian p
    March 14th, 2008
    5:17 pm

    BAAAHHH…my secret is out. I have been doing this for roughly a year. Word of caution. if you are a frequent flyer, your home airport will start to recognize you will be hip to what you are doing. I no longer get away with it at Midway. But don’t be afraid to try it.

  • [...] How to Fly Without ID and Skip LinesSeriously, next time I fly I’m leaving my wallet at home. [...]

  • Tim Ferriss
    March 15th, 2008
    2:14 am

    FYI, the return trip worked great without ID. But… it is definitely true that you move faster if they have someone checking IDs (or lack thereof) before you enter the line and not when you get to 15 feet in front of the metal detectors. Off to get my new ID and so on tomorrow. The driver’s license is important for lots more than flying. Happy, happy, joy, joy :)

    Tim

  • ace
    March 15th, 2008
    7:34 am

    I do hope you (and more importantly, your readers) realise this only works if you’re from a 1st world country and white.

    A coloured friend of mine spent 2 DAYS stuck at airport/police following wallet being stolen.

    In my case, I get a “SSSS” on my b.p. just when I show what country I am from (it’s not Iraq or Afghanistan). I have never found this to make things go faster – I have to get to the airport 3 hours before my flight each time. I’ve had this experience for 17 years, every single time I fly.

    I think you were really lucky and resourceful, but I would not have similar hopes if I were a reader of ths blog.

  • ace
    March 15th, 2008
    7:38 am

    To add, I used to live in San Diego so many experiences with “SSSS’ occurred there. Plus said friend who spent 2 days was also departing San Diego…

  • Tom
    March 16th, 2008
    6:57 pm

    Tim,
    You have officially been bumped up to my new hero.

    I love the contrast between this and the clear blue card.

    Hacking life for what is truly important rather then worrying about MIGHT happen all the time.

    I love how you used both PRO-system and ANTI-system type tools to gain more of the good stuff out of life. Like Time!

    I have used the fruit trick to pass customs quickly. I know by putting it here I will probably lose this trick when TOO many people do it and customs adjust BUT….

    Basically you just bring some something innocent that you KNOW is going to get confiscated when traveling internationally. Bananas are good for Australia and Apples are good for California. :-)

    Then simply declaring it and LETTING them confiscate it. Because as soon as you declare it they put in in a shorter faster line. Heck sometimes after they to not search or scan my bags at ALL!

    I have saved myself hours in line many times at an average of about 78 cents per hour. :-) Outsourcing my line waiting time to an apple. :-)

    Tom

    P.S. It is fun when the beagles find your illegal apple AFTER you have already filled out the form declaring it. :-)

    P.P.S. Being a dyslexic writer I really appreciate the spell checking on your blog. Probably just saved my post about 17 times.

  • Rob
    March 18th, 2008
    12:43 am

    This happened to me the other day. Lost my wallet in San Fran. Was afraid of not making my flight back to NYC with no ID. It was not a big deal at all. TSA said all I need was my boarding pass and to give 10 minutes of my time to extra security. I went into the regular line.. but if I had read this blog before the airport, I would have told security instead of waiting for them to see the big marker print on my ticket that said “no id” and I probably would have gone ahead of everyone to the special security area.

  • [...] could actually use a lack of ID to cut through security lines as discussed at the Four Hour Workweek Blog. It would definitely work if they check ID at the beginning of a long security [...]

  • [...] similar news, after his wallet was stolen, author Tim Ferris discovered that lack of i.d. doesn’t bar anyone from flying. In fact, it may get you through security [...]

  • TOM Bender
    March 21st, 2008
    11:01 pm

    Hey Tim,

    First off love what your doing! Its not to often that I stumble upon something that I’m truly impressed by. Keep it up!

    I’ve got a question about travel for you. I frequently travel via plane with a bike (in a large protective case) or snowboard and was curious if you had any solutions to the crazy airline charges for oversized (sometimes upwards of $200) luggage on a flight. It be great to hear your thoughts!

    Thanks in advanced, TOM

  • [...] (Incidentally, you do not need to have a photo ID with you in order to board a plane… see this post from Tim [...]

  • [...] For all you harried HR generalists out there who are waiting in security lines at airports around the country — put away your IDs. Or at least the next time you travel, know that you can get through security lines faster without ID. Here’s how. [...]

  • Susan
    March 24th, 2008
    11:32 am

    The TSA does have the right to refuse you without ID. But I suppose they also have the right to refuse you with an ID as well. Some airports are implementing ‘Diamond Lanes’ which offers ‘Expert’, ‘Casual’, or ‘Family’ travelers, etc. the opportunity to form their own lines based on their needs and comfort level. I’d be interested to see how that works.

  • Beth Whitman
    March 27th, 2008
    2:13 pm

    Astounding that this actually works although I’d hate to take the chance and risk missing my flight. I rented a car once with an invalid driver’s license (it had just expired) and you would have thought I was getting away with the crime of the century!

  • Robert
    April 3rd, 2008
    11:08 am

    The only problem comes when more and more people do this everyday until airport security finally clues in and says you left your wallet on purpose, didn’t you? Thanks a lot.

  • Jim Donovan
    April 4th, 2008
    1:28 pm

    Hi Tim:

    While I’ll probably never have to use this, it’s a prett cool work around.

    I like the way your mind works:-)

    Our society, unfortunately, has created all sorts of rules. Some, like airport security have been made necessary, however there are even more that are totally unnecessary.

    To live free, we have to challenge them sometimes and, as long as no one is harmed or compromised, break them. You seem to get that:-)

  • Joanna Campbell Slan
    April 4th, 2008
    2:36 pm

    This happened to my mother on a recent visit….and she had the same experience being allowed to board and fly home.

    We had made the police report BEFORE she went to the airport, and we took a copy of that along with.

    While I agree that doing this on purpose would completely mess up the TSA system, and therefore, endanger all travelers, it is great to know that if you are in this situation you don’t have to panic. Thanks for the great post–the letter is a super addition to any traveler’s items.

  • Vanessa
    April 5th, 2008
    8:01 am

    I will definitely try this tactis next time I fly out of Midway.

  • kjmastaw
    May 1st, 2008
    4:51 am

    I’ve been reading your posts for months and figured it was about time to comment just to say, “great job and thanks for all the great tips!” I’m looking forward to the next trip, now, just to try this.

    In my previous “job-job” I used to travel, tons, to the point where it became too much. (I knew I had officially burnt out when, on one trip to Stockholm, the hotel receptionist asked if I’d like to go to a party with her when she finished work. It was a Saturday night. I replied that, “I was tired, there was a Metallica concert on TV, and I was in the middle of game of Command and Conquer on my computer.)

    The only problem I ever had getting out of a country was when I was on a – again business – trip to San Salvidore Island. I used to travel without cash, all the time, depending on credit cards. On the transfer in Jamaica, they ask for a $5 exit fee – cash only. I had about $2 on me. After push came to shove, they finally took the visa.:)

    Sorry for getting carried away!
    Kevin

  • TJ
    June 9th, 2008
    7:39 pm

    TSA announced today that if you refuse to show your ID (as of June 21, 2008) you cannot fly… but if your ID has been lost or stolen you are good to go:

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-13739_3-9962760-46.html?tag=nefd.top

  • phraedus
    June 10th, 2008
    3:47 am

    They changed your rules:

    http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/06/tsa-nixes-flyin.html

    This hack wont work no more.

  • Natovr
    June 15th, 2008
    5:20 am

    Really cool trick!! Too bad the UK has other laws, and don’t have the same transport organization. I wouldn’t be worried about flying this way — I won’t get arrested since everything will be checked :)

    Stumbled

  • Joe
    August 5th, 2008
    10:31 am

    Tim – not sure if you have caught this, but Clear data was compromised.

    http://cbs5.com/local/tsa.security.clear.2.788083.html

  • martin stevens
    August 27th, 2008
    5:54 pm

    I was skeptical about the clear pass system and then used it a couple of times which honestly saved me an hour or more each time by using it. It is a shame that you have to pay extra to “cut” a line, but if you travel a lot and have a few bucks to spend on convenience, this is well worth it. I have been very happy with the time I saved — let’s face it, time is money. I am spreading the word to fellow business travelers and getting them and me the extra month bonus. Good luck!

  • [...] clipped from http://www.fourhourworkweek.com [...]

  • [...] clipped from http://www.fourhourworkweek.com [...]

  • Jeka
    June 16th, 2009
    8:18 pm

    Hey I know its been long since the last comment but I want to know I am 17 years old flying by myself and I only have an school I.D I do not have anything else with me do you know if I can fly or do I have to go through the extra checking?? Please answer me

  • Drew
    June 25th, 2009
    6:28 am

    I used it, loved it, swore by it. But they just went under: http://www.flyclear.com/

    It was a matter of time. Every time I used it SFO – NYC I was the only person in the line, and they were staffed up by at least two Clear employees.

  • Phuong
    July 14th, 2009
    7:20 pm

    Hi Tim,

    Thanks for all the tips. I’m a great fan.

    I fly back and forth between Vietnam and the US every year (in fact, my next trip is next Tuesday) and the line is horrendous. There are at least three lines I have to make, one in JFK, one in Anchorage, one in Taiwan. I wonder if your tip will work for international flights laying over in another country.

    Thanks, I appreciate it very much.

    P.

  • Alejo
    July 25th, 2009
    10:24 am

    Yo Tim! This actually worked for me. I lost my ID on a trip from San Fran back home Washington, DC. Luckily, I had my credit card so I could print my boarding pass (I also had my boarding passes from DC to SF). When I got to security, they took me to the front of the line to go through x-ray and I got through in no time.

    I write more my experience here:
    http://bit.ly/1FZkuI

  • JDR
    August 12th, 2009
    1:10 pm

    For those select few that master their own schedules, JetBlue is offering an “All you can fly buffet” for the month of September.

    http://www.jetblue.com/deals/all-you-can-jet/?intcmp=HPHero1Eng_All-You-Can-JetPass

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