The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is shutting down a bizarre travel hack: air travelers attempting to use their Costco cards as valid ID at the airport.
Starting last month, American travelers were informed that they required either a Federally approved REAL ID or a passport to boarding an internal flight. , with a regular driver's license no longer being sufficient.
Nevertheless, some optimistic travelers thought their reliable Costco membership cards would serve as their pass to get through security.
The TSA was explicit about this in a Facebook post This week, the membership card won't serve as an alternative.
"We enjoy hot dogs and rotisserie chickens just as much as anyone else, but please refrain from informing individuals that their Costco membership card serves as a legitimate form of identification since it definitely doesn’t," the agency stated.
The TSA's reaction to the amusing ID 'hack' led to more than 700 comments—most found the concept entertaining, whereas some argued that the Costco card should be considered a legitimate form of identification.
"I strongly believe that the Costco card holds more weight than certain passports," someone quipped.
"I mean, at the very least, it has a STAR on it," another commented.
A third chimed in, 'Do you use Uncle Sam's Club card though?'
"Who could be more quintessentially American than someone who has a card granting them access to hot dogs?" added another voice.
In March, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declared that travelers will require an enhanced REAL ID to fly domestically without using a passport.
Developed as a reaction to the September 11 terrorist attacks, the REAL ID Act established more rigorous requirements for state-issued identification documents—enhancing identity checks to strengthen national security.
Candidates are required to submit paperwork verifying their identity, lawful residence within the United States, Social Security number, and mailing address.
This decreases the likelihood of counterfeit IDs or identity theft.
Most of the time, REAL IDs feature a white star enclosed within a yellow circle.
They also boast improved physical characteristics such as barcodes and security holograms, which make forgery more difficult and enable officials to easily identify them with just one look.
The announcement triggered lengthy delays and a rush for DMV bookings, as Americans hurried to obtain their REAL IDs prior to the May deadline.
Even though the legislation was enacted in 2005, the implementation timelines have repeatedly been delayed—most lately because of postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of April, 81 percent of travelers were showing either a state-issued REAL ID or an accepted alternative document as per the TSA report.
Valid options comprise a legitimate passport, passport card, or U.S. Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry or Nexus.
Following two decades of development, the REAL ID mandate was finally implemented on May 7.
The IDs have been accessible via the DMV for many years, and individuals who didn't meet the May deadline can still submit their applications.
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