Costco offers some value-packed travel perks for members of its popular warehouse club.
From deals on cruises, hotels, and vacation packages to cash-back rewards on travel purchases for its Executive Members, Costco gives members access to some exclusive travel benefits and significant savings.
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But just because a Costco membership gives you insider access to travel deals doesn’t mean it gives you any special privileges at the airport.
At least not with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
That doesn’t stop people from suggesting it does, however.
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In recent years, many people have reported on social media that TSA officers have accepted their Costco membership card as an alternative form of ID when they’ve forgotten or lost their driver’s license or state-issued ID.
And even as the strict new TSA requirement for Real ID-complaint identification took effect in May, the rumor persisted.
Air travelers are now required to present a Real ID or another TSA-approved form of ID to fly within the U.S.
Image source: Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images
TSA refutes persistent Costco ID rumor
Recently, a popular food blog posted some misinformation that led some travelers to believe that TSA will accept a Costco membership card as a valid Real ID at airport security checkpoints.
On June 4, TSA took to social media to set the record straight.
“We love hotdogs and 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,” TSA posted on its Facebook page and other social media platforms.
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Even though your Costco card may have a gold star on it like many Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses do, it’s not accepted as a valid form of identification at airports.
As of May 7, all airline passengers 18 years and older are required to present Real ID-compliant identification or another acceptable ID at airport security checkpoints in order to board domestic flights.
What counts as a REAL ID for air travel?
Beyond a Real ID-compliant state-issued driver’s license or identification card, alternate forms of acceptable identification at the TSA checkpoint currently include:
State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)U.S. passportU.S. passport cardDHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependentsPermanent resident cardBorder crossing cardAn acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)HSPD-12 PIV cardForeign government-issued passportCanadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada cardTransportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)U.S. Merchant Mariner CredentialVeteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
The list of TSA acceptable identification is subject to change, so before you travel without a Real ID-compliant driver license or ID card, check the list again to avoid arriving at the airport without an acceptable ID.
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What happens if you show up at the airport without an acceptable ID?
“Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening. This includes TSA PreCheck passengers,” TSA currently states on its website.
If TSA is unable to verify your identity, you will not be permitted to enter the security screening checkpoint.
Related: CDC sounds the alarm on growing global travel concern
