Travelling Through US with a Child

if you are not leaving the country you do not need anything for children under 18. I take my kids on flights a few times a month (husband works for airlines) so I definitely know the system!

I have 3 children and have traveled with them even being as young as 8 weeks . . . I have never had to show any form of ID for the children. They usually just ask them their names. Last year I traveled alone with all 3 (8, 6 and 3 years old at the time) and was never asked for ID and again they just asked them their names.

If you are traveling with in the United States, you don't need anything to travel with your child, unless it has changed in the past 2 years, the last time I flew with my kids.

I remember bringing my daughter's birth certificate along and they didn't care about it or want to see it. I guess they just assume that the child is yours and no proof is necessary.

If you are still questioning, I would call the airlines that you are planning on flying or check out their website for questions and answers, but once again, I never had to provide anything to security or to the gate to board the airplane. Hope this helps.

You don't need anything since you are not trying to prove that your child is under 2 and a lap child. Just go and enjoy yourself and bring your carseat!

M.,
Unless you are traveling internationally, you will not need an ID for your child. When I travel domestically by air with my kids, we have never been asked for an ID for them. Occasionally, airport personnel might ask them their names (the older kids).
Good luck.

You don't need anything. I travel with my daughter all the time, we have different last names and have never once been questioned. She is 6 now. They just ask her name at check in. That's it. Nothing to worry about! Have fun.

Hi M.!
I've traveled with my 5 year old several times domestically since he was 6 months old. I carry a wallet version (official from county) of his birth certificate but have never been asked for it. I make him an up to date ID card with a photo and clip on him in case of anything - but no one ever asks for ID. Only thing they look at is the boarding pass and if we have matching last names. It does seem strange to me how "easy" it is to fly around the country with a child.
Hope that helps!
S. in Lisle

Hi M.,

When we've done this, the airline told us a birth certificate was sufficient. My 15-month-old daughter does have a passport, which we brought for our domestic flight, but they didn't even ask for it. I would suggest you call the airline you're using and ask them. You might want to bring the birth certificate just in case.

Happy traveling!
R.

M.,

I just flew from O'Hare to Texas with my 4 children and wasn't required to have any identification. Their ages are 13, 5, 4, 4. In Texas, they even let me check in my husband without him being there!....If you call the airline you are flying on, they will tell you for sure if they require documentation. We flew American and United.

When I took my eldest to Mexico at age 3, I had to have a birth certificate and a notorized letter from his dad saying that I had permission to remove him from the country.

Have a great trip!

The only time airlines require a birth certificate domestically is if the child is a lap child with no seat. If your daughter has her own seat they do not require anything. We have always traveled with a copy of birth certificate and a recent photo with their statistics (height, weight, age, etc.) just in case they get separated from us, but that is us just being prepared for the worst, not something that is required.

Yes, dometically all you are supposed to have is a birth certificate. We have a passport for my 2 year-old son, because we travel to Mexico once a year. The only time the airlines ever wanted to see my son's identification, however, when traveling domestically, was before he was 2 and did not have his own seat. They wanted the birth cert for age verification.

Since he's been old enough for us to buy him his own seat on the plane, they NEVER ask for his ID. That really kind of bothers me, as I feel like you could pretty much just snatch a child, buy them a ticket under any name, and take them on the plane without proving they are who you say they are. Maybe that's just me.

I travel by air with my 4 kids ~ 11-19months on American & as long as the 3 have a ticket that has been fine. I never bring anything else.

I travel all the time with our two children by air. I always carried the birth certificate, but never once did I have to use it. Be sure to bring your car seat for the plane and she will need a window seat. Good luck!

My daughter has been traveling domestically since she was five weeks old. We don't have a passport for her and she has been just fine with a photocopy of her birth certificate.

Bon voyage!

If you are flyig domestic you don't need anything. If it will ease your mind, bring a copy of her birth certificate (not the original).

The last time I travelled with my son(last May) we did not need any documentation for him and he was 4(nor have we for either child in the past. I believe you only need an id if you are over 18 for domestic travel. You can check w/the individual airlines if you want to be sure.

We've flown roundtrip with three of our kids, three different times, and on three different airlines, and have never needed anything. Once our oldest turned 16, he may have needed his drivers license, I don't remember. We always bought our youngest a ticket and brought her carseat, so it wasn't like we needed to prove she was under a certain age. Have fun!

Double check with your airlines website, but I have traveled with little ones with their birth certificate. Also, if I'm flying without my husband, I take a letter stating that he is aware of the travel, and I have permission to take the kids out of the state without him. This prevents any possibility of kidnapping allegations.

Since both of our children are adopted I made an id up for both of them. It is good to have when you are a mixed race family. I use an Avery business card. After I print them I laminate them. It is good to have your child carry one in case they get seperated from you.

Name of child
Birth date:
Address
PHOTO
Who to contact in Emergency
Parents:
Home Phone:
Cell:
Photo taken:

Back side:

Pediatrician: with phone number
Ht: Wt.: Hair: Eyes:
Allergies to Meds or food:
Medications:
Medical Conditions:
Any marks:
CDH Hospital: ###-###-####
Poison Control: 800-942-5969

For international air-passanger, they required to have a passport, even for baby. For domestic, birth certificate will be enough. Sometimes they asked, sometimes they don't. I always bring it, just in case.
They care more about what you bring in carry-on, such as water, milk, toothpaste, etc.