If it is valid on your travel dates, no worry. I've seen a TSA agent wave someone along with a "better renew that license, it expired last week".

Thanks for the prompt response, kayd. I figured I didn't have much to worry about but wanted to be certain. Do you think I would benefit from bringing along my passport (which is current)? Or am I over-thinking this?

You are over-thinking - and you don;t want to take a chance of losing your passport. But - don;t you need to renew your license? (We get our renewal forms like 60 days in advance.)

I sent it in... I've gotta wait for the DMV now, I guess. My birthday is the second week of November. You've a great point... I didn't want to risk losing the old passport. Thanks nytraveler... I'm not going to stress it

I showed up 2 weeks ago at Logan (Boston) with a driver's license that was, unknown to me, 3 weeks expired. I was allowed to board and was told by TSA person that license was good for 1 year AFTER expiration.

A few weeks ago two people were detained for an extended time on my TSA line,domestic US airport, one for an expired driver's license and then another for an expired passport. They were questioned by two different TSA agents; they held up two lines of unhappy travelers twice because of their expirations. Since yours hasn't expired, I think you'll be fine.Just a heads up.
There are always differences between airports and individual TSA agents.

I travelled with an expired license once and the TSA agent got really excited about it and didn't want to let me through. This was an airport in Po-Dunk, USA and I think the TSA agent was just excited that SOMETHING happened - LOL. I was the only passenger going through security at the airport at the time - it is a very small airport.

I handed my license to the TSA agent. She said she couldn't accept it because it was exprired (by like a week - the new one hadn't come in the mail). I had the paper extension, just forgot to hand it over initially, so I said "Oh, sorry - here is the extention." to which she replied that she couldn't accept it - she could only accept the first form of ID presented. What? I told her that my license WAS valid, as she could see from the extension, but I also had my passport if she wanted to see it. Nope. Can't pass through security. So I asked her if she was really going to prevent me from boarding my plane because I neglected to give her the extention form with my license initially. She said yes. I asked for a supervisor. The supervisor came over, looked at my license and extention, rolled her eyes at the agent, and told me to go on through and have a nice day.

It was quite funny.

There may be differences between TSA agents, but there's no requirement that your license be valid, just genuine. If you are concerned, bring your passport.

I had an experience similar to November's -- for some reason I had both the old and new license in my bag and handed over the wrong one. The agent balked about letting me through, but then I was able to produce the new, valid license.

At first, this didn't satisfy her either; but I waited her out and she finally let me pass.

A license is only considered to be genuine if it is valid. AAA can give you a same day license renewal. Did you go there?

I tell you we don't have this "mail it in" license renewal. We have to show up at the DMV and take a short test and an eye test.

Correct, a DL is not considered valid if it is expired - but that applies to it's intended purposed - a license to drive.

There is in fact no TSA requirement that you have a valid, gov't issued ID. The only requirement is that you can prove you are the person named on the ticket. Sure, it makes it easier if everything is valid, but not required.

Looks like the TSA has updated their "acceptable ID" rules as of yesterday (10/16/12).

http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/acceptable-ids

No use trying to fly anywhere with an expired anything. Non-renewal of a license or passport implies an inability to meet the demands of renewal. Anyway, you don't need a license, you simply need a government issued i.d. For example,there are plenty of people who don't drive in NYC who have valid, legal, identification cards. Go to your town hall and ask how you get one.

EmilyPost is just plain wrong.

There's no requirement that a driver's license or state-issued ID card be non-expired. In most states, you have a grace period of from 1 month to 1 year to renew a driver's license, for example. It's not at all unusual for people from states where driver's licenses have to be renewed in person to have a brief period without a valid license.

Of course, since this is a matter of interpretation, different TSA agents will treat the requirement differently, and some airports have more overzealous agents than others. It's best to have a back-up just in case if you are flying without a valid driver's license. A Costco card is generally accepted as a back-up.

But to be very clear regarding the OP's original post: There is no requirement for domestic travel that an ID be valid for a certain period after the dates of travel. That's a requirement for travel to some foreign countries.

One other thought - I witnessed an individual being denied a rental car once because their driver's license was close to expiry. Hopefully your license doesn't expire during your trip?

And I am not wrong, Doug. Try going through with an expired license and let us know how you make out with that.

I've gone through security and taken airline flights with an expired driver's license (and I had no back-up). This happened last year when I had a 2-month lapse when I couldn't get into the DMV to renew my license. I took 2 flights (i.e., 2 round-trips) during that period and was able to get on all four flights.

If you have a problem, then ask for a supervisor, but there is no requirement that a driver's license be valid, just genuine.

Renting cars can be a different issue. Those requirements are set by the car-rental agencies themselves, so they probably differ. I don't really understand why one would not be allowed to rent a car for a finite time period if the license was set to expire after that period, but the car-rental company might have its own rules.

I believe that with an expired passport (within 12 months of expiration), you will need to provide some additional form of identification (e.g., social security or voter registration card). An expired driver's license may force you to produce two additional forms of identification.

All of which, as we know, is up to the discretion of the TSA agent you are dealing with.

Take a look at this:

http://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/twic/approved_twic_identification_docs.pdf

It seems that there is no consistency from airport to airport nor among different TSA agents.

Anectodal declarations aside, you will almost consistently have absolutely no trouble whilst traveling with up to date, valid, genuine identification. Such identification is easily obtained and certainly easier than dealing with the trouble one may incur by not having the proper identification.

If they do prevent you from boarding because you've followed Doug's advice, please contact him here and let him know.

>AAA can give you a same day license renewal.<

I have never heard of this..........in what state? I don't think the DMV in CA would allow this.

In Connecticut. Go to a AAA office with your renewal letter from the DMV, have your photo taken, pay the fee, and you're in and out in no time. I never go to the DMV for licensure renewal; no need where I live.

EmilyPost hasn't the slightest idea what he/she is saying with regard to the AAA, which offers different kinds of services in different states. Some DMV services are provided by AAA in some states, but not in all, and certainly not all provide driver's license renewals.

Here's the link for CT (Massachusetts does the same); you should check your State just in case:



http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=808&q=244578

AZ drivers license renewal

You have a problem here, doug? I do indeed have every idea about what I'm saying in regard to the AAA. I did not say EVERY AAA office offers these services but they do offer them in CT and in Massachusetts and other states. The O.P. should check in their State and see if AAA offers these services. What's your problem?

Again, here's the link to AAA offices in CT that offer licensure renewal In Their Offices. Check to see if your state has similar.

http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=808&q=244578

Please explore AAA offices in your own state to find if there's a AAA office that will save you a trip to the DMV.

There has never been more than a half hour wait at my AAA office while getting a license renewal completed, but that's anectdotal and doesn't mean much.

Thanks, Emily, I was curious. Although I've never checked into it, I seriously doubt I could do that here in CA!

I don't know if you can or not. When I googled AAA license renewal in CA, a link showed up but when I clicked on it, I was re-routed to the CT AAA link. AAA 'knows' where I'm typing from. If you're in CA, try googling 'AAA license renewals' and see what comes up. It's a huge convenience here.

I renew mine by mail, so it's not issue of convenience for me. I'm just surprised that any DMV would allow it!

tenthumbs: I'm curious about what's done about the photo. Do they use the photo from your last license?

In CA you can renew by mail or online (just did mine online) and they use the photo from last time. I believe you can only do this once or twice before they make you show up somewhere in person and take a new picture. Regardless of how you do it, in CA at least, you have to wait for your new license to show up in the mail.

Last March I flew round trip from NY to San Francisco with an expired license. I had absolutely no problem.

Emily~november_moon beat me to it.........yep, the picture on my license is about 6 years old (and about 30 pounds thinner)!

And my husband couldn't fly from Bradley to Atlanta with his expired license last October! Go figure....

(I wish my license made me look 30 lbs thinner, tenthumbs!)

It must be a win/win for AAA and the DMV in CT. AAA has the people to process them and gets people into their facility with the hope for new membership. They also will take passport pictures for you (free for AAA members) too. AAA is connected directly to the DMV by computer and they take the new picture and print the new license in about 10 minutes. I even got the "new enhanced" license with the special star that is supposed to get you through the airport TSA with less hassle, but I haven't tested that yet.

It is a win/win, emalloy! I have the special star but didn't notice any difference with TSA at all. Maybe next time.

I'm curious about how that AAA service works for enhanced driver's licenses. When I last had to renew my license in 2010 (Florida), that's when I had to go from old to new (enhanced) license. It required a stack of documentation, appointment, etc. And a substantial fee increase.

That was effective here as of January 1, 2010. According to the Florida DMV site, they had to retrofit their offices to do these new licenses.

Florida does allow renew online or by mail (except as above), or in person at a state DMV office. It does not allow renewal through AAA, unfortunately.

In CT I just brought my passport, a piece or two of mail with my name and address on it , and my old license to AAA and they did the computer work and took my picture. There was no extra cost as I recall or if there was it must have been very small. I did not make an appointment and there was only one person in line ahead of me.

What sort of paperwork was required for the enhanced drivers license? That seems strange. And what is an "enhanced" license anyway? I googled but everything that came up seemed rather convoluded.

Basically, they are more rigorous in checking out your identity. The exact requirements vary from state to state most likely, but I brought my old license, my original birth certificate, my social security card, and something like a utility bill or mortgage statement (to prove that the address I am giving actually has my name linked to it).

Some states hiked the fees substantially, to recoup the costs that they incurred as a result of all the extra effort. Some did not.

Possibly the lines are shorter now, but I had to renew fairly early in the new process, and this added to the wait and confusion. It took me a week or two to even get an appointment time.

>they are more rigorous in checking out your identity.<

november_moon~this probably explains why we can't get the special stars on our CDL!

And nothing other than my old license and the new paperwork sent from DMV were required for me to renew my license at the AAA office. There were no extra costs or requirements.

Here's a thread about other states that have AAA offices that accommodate license and registration renewals.
http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/can-you-renew-your-drivers-license-at-a-aaa-office-in-your-state.cfm