Expired passport- no other I.d.

[gone fishing]

In Georgia a state ID for 5 years is $20, and 8 yrs is $32. A voter ID is free, but, I don't know if it has a photo on it. I don't know the wait for these. I'm sure an answer is just a call away

 

[VentureForth]

In Georgia a state ID for 5 years is $20, and 8 yrs is $32. A voter ID is free, but, I don't know if it has a photo on it. I don't know the wait for these. I'm sure an answer is just a call away

Should have a photo on it. And, in Georgia, you get a really nice temporary immediatly (which could probably be laminated!) which looks almost exactly like the real one you get in the mail a couple weeks later.

And, the_traveller, right wrong or indifferent,

Amtrak's website says to be valid, an ID has to be "current and in-force."

 

[haolerider]

In Georgia a state ID for 5 years is $20, and 8 yrs is $32. A voter ID is free, but, I don't know if it has a photo on it. I don't know the wait for these. I'm sure an answer is just a call away

Should have a photo on it. And, in Georgia, you get a really nice temporary immediatly (which could probably be laminated!) which looks almost exactly like the real one you get in the mail a couple weeks later.And, the_traveller, right wrong or indifferent,

Amtrak's website says to be valid, an ID has to be "current and in-force."

FYI: in Georgia you now need a certified copy of your birth certificate, copy of a utility bill with your current address and your Social Security card to get a DL. This is allegedly a mandate related to,illegal aliens! I was lucky and only had a one hour wait, while my wife was there for much longer.

 

[the_traveler]

And, the_traveller, right wrong or indifferent,

Amtrak's website says to be valid, an ID has to be "current and in-force."

To me, this is dumb for a number of reasons:
1) if you get a passport, you have to prove who you are, and that should not change. Most likely, you're still the same person you were yesterday. I just looked in the mirror, and the same person looking at me yesterday was there today, and it even looks like me!

2) If your name is John Doe, it may be a little more questionable that if your name was Frederick Balsalim.

3) If you were to have a passport made illegally by a criminal, I really doubt that that would stamp holes in it that say "CANCELLED"!

 

[VentureForth]

I'm not saying it's smart - just saying that it's the policy. Yeah - in New Mexico, I was really irritated when my wife wanted to cash a check at a casino and she had an expired drivers license. Government issued photo id with matching address to the check, but it wasn't current, so they wouldn't cash it.

 

[leemell]

My wife and I have about 30,000 miles on Amtrak and around the country at least twice and have never been asked for ID. I think the risk is small but not non-existent.

 

[BCL]

I think the main point is that if I am Mr Bloggs and have passed Goverment checks to obtain a passport to confirm this, then I am still Mr Bloggs despite the expiry date on the passport. The passport may no longer be valid as a passport, but it should be accepted to confirm who I am.

Sometimes folk don't travel much and don't keep paperwork up to date because they don't anticipate needing it, and then a sudden death or other disaster strikes where they may need to catch a train at short notice.

Ed

I think one issue is that there are some people who sell their photo ID for fraudulent use by someone else. Or one person allows a photo ID to be used by a relative who may look similar. Someone with an unexpired ID might have less incentive to sell it.

Mostly the policies on needed ID that is in force have to do with policies in place since 9/11.

For the most part I doubt that Amtrak personnel are sticklers for it, especially if the ID has only recently expired.

 

[BCL]

My wife and I have about 30,000 miles on Amtrak and around the country at least twice and have never been asked for ID. I think the risk is small but not non-existent.

The only times I've ever been asked for ID were when I was asking to cancel a reservation and request an eVoucher. The other time was when I showed my 10-ride ticket at the Emeryville statiion to ask for a parking permit. I've never been asked for ID onboard a train, except when I used a credit card.

 

[fairviewroad]

My wife and I have about 30,000 miles on Amtrak and around the country at least twice and have never been asked for ID. I think the risk is small but not non-existent.

Definitely not non-existent. I've rarely been asked for ID, but was asked the last time I rode the CS ...and I was only on the train for one stop, and I had

an 18-month-old lap child with me at the time! So you just never know.

 

[SubwayNut]

I have the ultimate lost ID story and not getting asked:

Last summer I did an AGR Rommette "bucket list" points run Phoenix-Flagstaff-LA-Portland-Minneapolis and then back home to New York on paid Amtrak tickets (with 8 segments by maximizing stops for points)

When I was in Flagstaff trying to have a beer with my dinner on my Shuttle van to Southwest Chief layover I got ID (I'm young) and realize my DL was nowhere in my wallet and the last time I remembered having it was two weeks earlier when I bought a walk up Amtrak ticket in Stockton.

I realized the only thing I had was a scan of my license on my computer. I managed to make it all the way home (including drinking the Califronia champagne and at the 3 Amtrak wine tastings and winning a bottle at trivia) without an ID check. The attendants did seriously say when they were dropping off the champaign (are you 21?)

I said no to getting my passport fed-exed to me friends in St Paul, I had no hotel nights from my previous Amtrak experience.

I will add that I was a bit lucky since on my very next trip sitting in the Acela (upgraded with a coupon) the scanner randomly selected me and the conductor joked "You win!"

 

[JoeBas]

That IS outrageous! When I moved from NYS to AZ, AZ to NV, NV to AZ and AZ to RI, I just turned in my current (other state's) license and got a new (present state's) license in 3 minutes!

Was that before Nine *GASP* Eleven? *Turrified scream!!!*

 

[Shortline]

One parent crossing state lines with child in tow while carrying questionable ID?

Maybe everything is on the up and up but this sticks out like a sore thumb to me.

So how far should one be able to travel, without showing documents? Within the state ok, but not across arbitrary state border lines? Distance dependant? I mean, one can travel quite a ways in states like TX and CA, and still be within the state, not so much in Rhode Island. And here I thought you were more along the lines of a person with a libertarian leaning, against a system of governmental and corporate sponsored/facilitated document checks!

 

[zephyr17]

Crossing state lines you don't have to show ID, and Amtrak's requiring ID isn't dependent on how far you are going or how many state lines you cross. Although the more "segments" you have, you are probably slightly more likely to get tagged by the system for and ID check.

As to the larger question, there are not and should not be any ID requirements just to cross state lines.

 

[MARC Rider]

If you use Quik-Trak or print out at home, you're almost certain to be asked for ID on the train, and removed if you don't have it (otherwise it could be a stolen ticket, etc.)

What?!

Over the past 10 years, I have been riding using either quick-trak ticket or e-tickets printed at home, and I have been asked for my ID on the train only once. On the other hand, every time I've interacted with a ticket agent, they've asked for ID. But there is a chance that the conductor will ask for ID, but it's a pretty low chance.

 

[MARC Rider]

If you use Quik-Trak or print out at home, you're almost certain to be asked for ID on the train, and removed if you don't have it (otherwise it could be a stolen ticket, etc.)

I'm sorry, but I have to dispute that claim. I 99+% of the time only have 1 or the other and use a AAA discount. To this day, I have never been asked for ID on the train! The only time I've been asked for ID is when I pick up tickets at the ticket window. (Of course when I print them at a QT - which is 99+% of the time - the QT machine has never asked to see my ID!)
And (my opinion only) an expired passport should be accepted. It is a Government issued ID, has your photo on it and shows your nationality on it.

Heck, we used expired passports for a trip to Grenada once. They were accepted by immigration control in both Grenada and in San Juan on the way back. And our 4-year old daughter on;y had a copy of her birth certificate. Of course that was back in 1995 before they got all crazy with the "western hemisphere travel initiative."

 

[jis]

Yeah. Now you will get the third degree if you have anything other than a biometric Passport and you arrive at a first port of entry into US by air. And not only you but the airline that brought you will also get raked over burning coal for good measure.

 

[MARC Rider]

If you can wait a day, you can get a DL or at least a state issued ID if you have the necessary documentation. It's almost immediate (you'll at least have a temporary ID), costs less than $50 and gets you what you need. I don't know you or your brother's circumstances, but if everything is on the up and up, the state ID issue shouldn't be a problem. If it IS a problem, all I can suggest is that you take your chances.

In 2010 in order to get a Texas DL, even though I had current CA DL, I had to produce a notarized original birth certificate and original SS card. It took weeks. Totally outrageous IMHO

HAHA. For all their posturing, Texas isn't even in compliance with the REAL ID act. (http://www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/count-down-to-real-id.aspx)

In fact, back in 2006, before you needed passports for land crossings between the US and Canada/Mexico, I once spent the evening in a Mexican border town across from Texas. On my return to the US, the 'migra lady was very impressed with my Maryland driver's license with its hologram and other features designed to make it harder to forge, She told me that Texas licenses were junk compared to the Maryland ones. I got my first Maryland license in 1979 on the basis of a non-photo Pennsylvania license first issued in 1970. For that one, I think I did have to show a birth certificate, but, of course, birth certificates have no biometric information at all.

My favorite crossing story was on a different trip that year. The 'migra man was fine with my Maryland license, but instead of asking me my reason for traveling to Mexico, he asked me what the hell I was doing in Texas!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

One parent crossing state lines with child in tow while carrying questionable ID?

Maybe everything is on the up and up but this sticks out like a sore thumb to me.

So how far should one be able to travel, without showing documents? Within the state ok, but not across arbitrary state border lines? Distance dependant? I mean, one can travel quite a ways in states like TX and CA, and still be within the state, not so much in Rhode Island. And here I thought you were more along the lines of a person with a libertarian leaning, against a system of governmental and corporate sponsored/facilitated document checks!

In most respects I do not support our government monitoring us or asking for our papers or pursuing any other surveillance state programs against us. However, none of that precludes me from becoming mildly alarmed by a weirdly written post asking a rather unusual question. The unfortunate reality is that children are abducted with statistically significant frequency, usually by someone the child is related to, and time is of the essence when this happens.

I have no idea if the OP is actually up to something, or if the OP is merely trying to get away from something someone else is doing, or if it’s all just a misunderstanding on my part. Each of those possibilities seems equally plausible to me. Out here in the Southwest crossing state lines implies you're on a long trip, but I suppose in other parts of the country it's no more than a grocery run. All I know for certain is that something about that post spooked the hairs on the back of my neck.

 

[George Harris]

I'm with Devil's Advocate on this one. The question is whether the trip should be helped or hindered. She could be trying to sneak off with the child. She could also be escaping an abusive situation. There could be a family emergency at her destination.

As to the asking for an ID, other than at a ticket window, the only time I have had it happen was on a trip from Sacramento to Emeryville. The three of us traveling together (on business) pulled out driver's licenses from two different states and a foreign passport.

 

[caravanman]

The slightly unnerving thing for me is the semi automatic presumption of wrongdoing because someone has an expired passport...

Would it be ok for this parent to take their child on a train if they have a current passport?

We don't have this issue here in the UK, you just buy a ticket and hop on the train. Freedom, no vigilanties, no need to conform...

Ed.

 

[the_traveler]

As for the "reason", while the stated examples may be reasons, another example could be that a family member (husband, father, son, daughter, etc...) is in the armed forces, and OP wants to be at the base/port when they return! I don't think it's a bad thing at all.

And as far as the statement "living in the southwest" it depends where you live. Yes, from SAS, it will be a long drive to go out of state. But if you lived in ELP and went to NM, that is not a long drive (sometimes across the street). A few years ago, I lived in NV and worked in AZ, right across the bridge over the Colorado River. I did that "long drive" each morning and afternoon - about a 15 minute drive!

 

[Guest]

Can I board Amtrak with temporary N.M. state issued I'd?

 

[BCL]

Can I board Amtrak with temporary N.M. state issued I'd?

Does it include a photo? Should be fine if it does provided it's not expired. Otherwise you might need a second non-photo ID.

I think it's been established that most of the time ID isn't requested to board a train. I've never been asked for ID when my tickets were checked. I have been asked for ID when I requested a paper ticket this morning at a ticket window. I had a reservation number and just preferred a paper ticket, along with a daily parking permit. I know I could have used Quik-Trak, but I wanted a little variety. The tickets printed at the ticket windows are different. They're trimmed by a cutter instead of pulled apart at the perforation. They use a 1D barcode instead of a PDF417 matrix code. They have a beefier font. Also - they seem to be aligned better. My AGR number is always printed across a line on the ticket stock.

 

[zephyr17]

The only train I have been asked for ID on is the Coast Starlight, too, twice on one trip. There is (or was) at least one conductor SLO-SAC (?) that seems to do it pretty consistently.

 

[jis]

Can I board Amtrak with temporary N.M. state issued I'd?

Does it include a photo? Should be fine if it does provided it's not expired. Otherwise you might need a second non-photo ID.

I think it's been established that most of the time ID isn't requested to board a train. I've never been asked for ID when my tickets were checked. I have been asked for ID when I requested a paper ticket this morning at a ticket window. I had a reservation number and just preferred a paper ticket, along with a daily parking permit. I know I could have used Quik-Trak, but I wanted a little variety. The tickets printed at the ticket windows are different. They're trimmed by a cutter instead of pulled apart at the perforation. They use a 1D barcode instead of a PDF417 matrix code. They have a beefier font. Also - they seem to be aligned better. My AGR number is always printed across a line on the ticket stock.

Gosh! You seem to be quite a ticket connoisseur! I had never noticed all this, perhaps mostly because I seldom print out a ticket at Amtrak facilities any more.