Q: Peter, my mom is 92 years old and recently moved to Tennessee. She has an expired driver's license from Pennsylvania. Would this license be valid for ID purposes for airline travel?
–Cindy, Cookeville, Tenn.
A: At one time an expired license was acceptable, but after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Transportation Security Administration increased airline security exponentially.
The current guidelines posted by the TSA state that identification must have a name, date of birth, gender, expiration date, and a tamper-resistant feature in order for a passenger to be allowed through a checkpoint and onto his or her flight.
If your flight is about to leave and you are unaware that your ID has expired, TSA does have some discretion to let you through anyway. However, they may make you undergo a full secondary search.
If your mother has time, I recommend that she apply for a state-issued identification card, which would prevent any potential hassles when she flies.
Here is a link to the TSA's ID requirements for airport checkpoints.
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