Florida woman gets to airport. Then she realizes she’s missing her wallet—with her license inside. What can she do?
In May 2025, having a REAL ID-compliant identification card became a necessity for travel.
While passengers used to be able to fly with their driver’s license or identification card, this change meant that they would only be able to do so if their ID was REAL ID-compliant.
Although airports predicted chaos in the initial days of the REAL ID rollout, the implementation of the system actually went relatively smoothly—even if some people may have tried to board a plane with their Costco card.
But what if you don’t have a REAL ID-compliant ID? More importantly, what if you show up at the airport with no ID at all? As one TikTok user recently learned, you can still travel—but it comes at a price.
Can You Fly Without An ID?
In a video with over 126,000 views, TikTok user Liv (@lilhoppytoe2.0) explains her predicament.
“I don’t have my license and I just got to the airport,” she starts. “So, let’s see what happens.”
Liv later posted a follow-up video confirming that she was still able to board the plane. However, it wasn’t exactly easy.
According to the follow-up video, this situation arose because Liv forgot her wallet.
“If you know me, that’s not the craziest thing,” she explains. “I forget something every time I go anywhere. But, the wallet is a first.”
As a result, she says she had to spend about 20 minutes having her identity verified. This involved “being questioned with, like, 45 different questions.”
“[They] asked me what color car I have,” she recalls. “They knew everything. It was so scary.”
Liv says that the officers performed a “good cop, bad cop” routine. This caused Liv to start crying and “shaking so much that the guy was like, ‘All right. Let’s lay off.’”
“But anyways, you can absolutely fly without an ID,” Liv concludes. “Don’t recommend it unless you have a lot of free time before, but yeah.”
Is This True?
According to the Transportation Security Administration, people without acceptable identification may still be able to fly. That said, there are some caveats.
First, it should be noted that one has more options than just a REAL-ID-compliant card for identification. For example, the TSA states that everything from a passport to certain digital IDs, including Apple Digital ID and Google ID pass, is an acceptable form of identification.
However, if one does not have an acceptable form of ID, they will need to participate in the TSA’s ConfirmID program. This service, which costs $45, allows travelers to confirm their identity through a variety of questions and checks. This appears to be what Liv experienced.
That said, the TSA does not guarantee that this service will be available at all times at every airport. Consequently, it’s advised that one simply tries their best to remember to bring an acceptable ID.
Commenters Say It’s Normal
In the comments section, several users affirmed that they were able to board a flight without identification. The line of questioning experienced by Liv, they said, was normal.
“I lost my wallet in Vail and was allowed to fly home,” wrote a user. “It was a pain but they let me on. It’s not like I was going to just live in Denver!”
“This happened to me in California. They pulled me into a room asked me 1 million questions and let me go,” offered another.
“Yep. They call homeland security and ask all the questions. Happened to me in Boston,” stated a third.
When reached for comment, TSA directed the Mary Sue to the following webpage about IDs.
@lilhoppytoe2.0 ♬ original sound – lilhoppytoe
We’ve reached out to Liv via Instagram direct message and comment.
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