No, your Costco card cannot be used as a substitute for a REAL ID. What Tennesseans should know about travel
While a Costco membership has multiple perks, including bulk discounts and savings on gas, there are a few things the card can't provide. For example, access to board domestic flights or certain federal facilities, unlike the REAL ID.
Since the May 7 implementation date, travelers in Tennessee and across the United States have relied on REAL ID — or other acceptable forms of identification — to pass through security and travel domestically.
Some, however, have opted for other methods of identification, which has led the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to recently debunk the rumor that customers' warehouse club cards can substitute for a REAL ID.
"We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not," wrote the administration in a post to social media.
Despite some membership cards displaying a star and digital options displaying a photo, that doesn't qualify the cards as a valid form of identification. In order to fly, travelers must have either a REAL ID, a valid passport or another federally issued photo ID.
As previously reported by USA TODAY, TSA Pacific spokesperson Lorie Dankers told SFGate that the rumor of Costco cards being accepted as official identification pops up every year or so. When people try to use their warehouse club cards at airports, for instance, it could lead to delays and travel headaches, she added.
No — Tennesseans are not required to obtain a REAL ID compliant license or identification credential. A REAL ID is not necessary to drive, vote, purchase alcohol or cigarettes, access hospitals, visit the post office, access federal courts or apply for or receive federal benefits such as social security or veterans' benefits.
If you don't have a REAL ID, here is the complete list of TSA acceptable IDs:
State-issued Enhanced Driver's License
U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
HSPD-12 PIV card
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation worker identification credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
Yes — Tennesseans can still obtain a REAL ID, with or without an appointment, although walk-in applicants should anticipate potentially long wait times.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Can you travel with a Costco card instead of a REAL ID in Tennessee?
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