Should I change my name on my ticket?
We are flying domestically in two weeks, and I do not have a RealID. I didn't realize my state appointments were booked up for months on end until I went to make one, and now I'm scrambling on what to do.
My airline ticket is currently in my married name. I have a state-issued driver's license in my married name. I have a passport that expired 10 month ago in my married name.
I am trying to get an emergency Real ID appointment, but I'm not sure it will work out. If it doesn't, it seems like I have the following options:
- Use my driver's license as my ID even though it's not a Real ID and hope for the best. I realize this would require additional screening though, and I worry about what exactly that means and how I could prove myself.
- Change my name on my airline ticket to my maiden name and use my expired passport as my ID as it's been expired for less than a year. My understanding is that passports that expired less than a year ago still count as valid ID. My worry is that other than a credit card that is still in my maiden name, I don't have any current forms of ID in my maiden name (and yes, I realize a CC isn't a form of ID), so if I also required additional screening here, it could be an issue.
In case it is important, I also have my marriage certificate, my new SS card with my married name, my old SS with my maiden name, and my previously expired passport (was valid from 2004-2014) in my maiden name as things I could bring with me.
What would be my best plan of action here? Change my name on my ticket to match my expired passport? Or keep it and use my drivers license as my ID, even though it is not a Real ID?
Posted Jul 28, 2025, 6:17 PM UTC