Traveling with newly expired Drivers license

[jis]

That is why you should try to arrange things in such a way that you are least likely to have to deal with a human agent. They are more or less unpredictable in their behavior.

 

[Headache]

I'm not checking bags. From the way she described it(scripted I'm sure) passengers can be pulled at random for bag and ID inspections. I do agree that it depends on the agent you have to deal with and what kind of day they are having. That's true for everything.

 

[fairviewroad]

That is why you should try to arrange things in such a way that you are least likely to have to deal with a human agent. They are more or less unpredictable;e in their behavior.

Sadly, this is true in so many travel situations, not just Amtrak.

To the OP: Please check back and let us know how it went.

 

[SubwayNut]

I've told this story here before:

I lost my Drivers Licensee in the middle of an Amtrak trip once a couple of years ago. No idea how it happened. I tried to buy a beer with my dinner in Flagstaff waiting for the train and found that it wasn't in my wallet. The bar man actually took sympathy on me as I dug through my wallet saying "I've seen you in here before." (totally not true). My form of government ID was a copy of my passport's photo page, that I decided having the original document fed-Exed to me would be unnecessary.

Managed to complete my trip, a 3 segment great circle AGR award redemption to MSP with an additional 9 segments in total including a few points runs wandering around Chicago. I was staying with friends except for one night in Chicago when I managed to convince the HI (I called a few days before, the Getaway Hostel I called first said no we can't accept guests without IDs) to let me stay on my then printed scanned copy of my passport. I'm relatively young and managed to drink my way through the various 'champaign' and wine tastings on the Starlight and Empire Builder. I just avoided talking to any agents.

I will say on my very next Amtrak trip after I had gotten a replacement ID, I got the "I need to see your ID Sir?" question and gladly complied as I joked with the conductor about how I won the lottery.

In terms of expired IDs, bars even can be sticklers for them. I've been kicked out of a couple a few times because of friends with expired IDs a couple of times (in Colorado and Seattle). One memorable night in Colorado involved showing up to grab a drinks after midnight with someone the morning after technically their 21st Birthday. The first bar we tried wouldn't serve a classmate because his Colorado license had literally expired at just hours before midnight 20 days after he had turned 21 (Colorado requires you go in person to renew your license within 20 days of turning 21), the person who just turned 21's New York State ID had just expired on her birthday at midnight but the barman didn't notice the finer print on the NYS license. We left that establishment and went to a different bar where the bouncer let us in not checking expiration dates. In Seattle for a graduate school conference they were real sticklers a couple of classmates had expired NYS licenses and clearly used them fine in New York but were denited drinks with them in Seattle. They both grabbed their passports later (that they had brought on the trip for flying out).

My brother doesn't drive and uses his passport card exclusively and has had issues with bars a few times because they don't recognize the document.

Do renew your license but I wouldn't fully worry about and just avoid any Amtrak personal interaction especially in stations.

 

[CoachSlumber]

Iowa residents have a grace period of thirty days before and thirty days after their birthday on the expiring year.

But again, that is in regard to the fee and eligibility to renew. It does not mean the agency requiring ID has to honor an expired ID.

 

[caravanman]

Let's be fair, what is the purpose of I.D. ? To prove who you are... so an official document which has recently expired should have as much validity as a current one. After all, you are the same person you were a few days ago.

I am not saying that anyone has to accept an expired ID, just saying how mad it is to not accept it at face value, if you will pardon the pun!

Ed.

 

[rusty spike]

Regarding on-board random ID verification:

The conductor's scanner (eMD) device is programmed to prompt, at random, 10% of all tickets sold on that train for I.D verification. He is then required to match the name, date of birth, and photo of the ticket holder. Then he taps the button "ID verified" and moves on. If he has suspicion about a ticket holder, he can request ID. With the variety of different typles of ID's offered, he may not notice an expired one. But why risk it?

The station agent, however, is not random. It's 100% if purchasing a ticket or checking luggage.

YMMV.

edted for a bunch of typos.

 

[peconicstation]

Whatever you can do, get that DL renewed, it's one thing for your home state to have a "grace" period, but DMV laws vary greatly from one state/commonwelath to another.

As an exmaple, New Hampshire is one of the only states that allows experienced drivers, who own their cars free and clear, to not carry auto insurance.

That said, it's only for intra-state travel, once you drive across a state line, you are in serious violation of their laws and are subject to an inpound.

My point being why have the cloud hanging over you while you travel.

Ken

 

[AlanB]

Jeeez how nutty can amtrak get . Lets be real .

every uni I went to had IDs with photos. .... whose to say they cant be faked? they are as far from the Enhanced ID that your friends at the DHS want you to carry as, papers please ..

Yet a hologramed barely expired ID from a state has some how less value then a laminated over prized library card from a random college.

/rant/

Remember that this whole ID thing isn't just Amtrak's doing. It's part of the deal that Amtrak made to keep the TSA as far away as possible from Amtrak.

Even I had to laugh back when this ID check thing happened at the ludicrous nature of the rules. At that time trained US Customs agents were having trouble spotting fake driver licenses and so that choice was eliminated. Now here comes the TSA saying that untrained (in spotting fake documents) conductors were somehow going to do better than the customs agents at spotting them.

But again, it keeps TSA interference to a minimum!

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

I understand its a DHS/TSA thing .

I am amazed college IDs are used at all?! they are so simple .

I would hold those Credit cards with the embedded photos to be more of a proper vetted ID then some college print shop.

 

[jis]

The whole thing seems to be a bot of a charade anyway.

 

[fairviewroad]

He is then required to match the name, date of birth, and photo of the ticket holder.

If this is truly the case, then the expiration date is irrelevant. I mean, you wouldn't want to use an expired

passport from 45 years ago, but a newly expired drivers license would still have all of that info. The conductor

isn't checking your eligibility to drive. But as others have stated, you just cannot take the "human" factor into

account and ultimately the conductor may remove you from the train if s/he feels like it.

 

[rusty spike]

He is then required to match the name, date of birth, and photo of the ticket holder.

If this is truly the case, then the expiration date is irrelevant. I mean, you wouldn't want to use an expired

passport from 45 years ago, but a newly expired drivers license would still have all of that info. The conductor

isn't checking your eligibility to drive. But as others have stated, you just cannot take the "human" factor into

account and ultimately the conductor may remove you from the train if s/he feels like it.

Of course it's relevant. The ID must be valid (current and in-force). Your two examples are invalid no matter whether they expired yesterday or 45 years ago.

 

[fairviewroad]

He is then required to match the name, date of birth, and photo of the ticket holder.

If this is truly the case, then the expiration date is irrelevant. I mean, you wouldn't want to use an expired

passport from 45 years ago, but a newly expired drivers license would still have all of that info. The conductor

isn't checking your eligibility to drive. But as others have stated, you just cannot take the "human" factor into

account and ultimately the conductor may remove you from the train if s/he feels like it.

Of course it's relevant. The ID must be valid (current and in-force). Your two examples are invalid no matter whether they expired yesterday or 45 years ago.

I understand that Amtrak's policy does say ID must be current and in-force. I was simply responding to your assertion that conductors

are "required to match the name, date of birth, and photo of the ticket holder." If this is truly what they are trained to do, then they

would not automatically check the expiration date. Since the expiration date of the ID is not a matchable field, then it's quite likely that

most conductors don't even look...especially when they have a train-car full of other people to check. [Anyhow, some of the accepted

forms of ID don't even have DOB on it.]

 

[rusty spike]

Step One would be to check the validity of the ID and that the photo is that of the ticketholder. If it is expired it is not valid. Period. TSA rules. If valid,then match name on ID to his mainfest. I believe DOB is used only to verify that someone traveling with a senior discount qualifies.

Having said that, conductors are multi-tasking and may not notice a DL that expired 5 days ago. But the OP's concern was that if ID were required, would a recently expired DL suffice. The short answer is no. That's why a valid student ID was suggested.

In the inconsistant and imperfect world of Amtrak we offer the disclaimer: "YMMV"

 

[Sauve850]

Ive never been asked for an ID. 20 yrs or more. Hmm.

 

[rusty spike]

On board the train--me neither!

 

[TinCan782]

On board the train--me neither!

The only time was when checking a bag. Boarding and while onboard, never.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The Conductors in Austin, while scanning tickets, check everyone's ID that's boarding the 2 daily trains.

I've been spot checked where tickets are scanned/pulled aboard the train!

I've Always had to show ID on the trains to Canada and when buying tickets or checking luggage!

 

[TinCan782]

The Conductors in Austin, while scanning tickets, check everyone's ID that's boarding the 2 daily trains.

I've been spot checked where tickets are scanned/pulled aboard the train!

I've Always had to show ID on the trains to Canada and when buying tickets or checking luggage!

Austin must be a "point of interest". Both times I've been northbound through there on 422, I've seen "police activity" on the platform!

 

[Bob Dylan]

The Conductors in Austin, while scanning tickets, check everyone's ID that's boarding the 2 daily trains.

I've been spot checked where tickets are scanned/pulled aboard the train!

I've Always had to show ID on the trains to Canada and when buying tickets or checking luggage!

Austin must be a "point of interest". Both times I've been northbound through there on 422, I've seen "police activity" on the platform!

Lots of tourists and drugs here! The Airport has lots of LE, that's where the DEA and HLS that come to the Amtrak Station come from!

The Austin Amtrak agents tell me it's a pretty regular thing with no set schedule!

Personally I've never seen them do anything but hang out, walk around with dogs, drink coffee and talk on cell phones.

 

[fairviewroad]

That is why you should try to arrange things in such a way that you are least likely to have to deal with a human agent. They are more or less unpredictable in their behavior.

This is somewhat unrelated, but I was reminded of this comment while reading a USA Today article on the future of the airline industry. Specifically,

this section:

Airlines plan to invest heavily in automation because travelers want self-service at the airport, unlike 20 years ago when check-in kiosks were criticized as dehumanizing the travel experience. "Now the demand is, 'Can you give me more self-service so I can actually manage my own flow through the airport, onto the plane?' " United's Wilson said.

You can count me among those who initially resisted the idea of kiosks and other self-service elements of travel. Now, I cringe when I have to stand in line to talk to an agent. Fortunately, that's becoming less and less common. [That said, airlines and Amtrak DO need to have assistance available for those times when self-service technology isn't sufficient or has a technical glitch.]

 

[Cina]

I sure I'm in the minority, but I prefer talking to a real person and transacting that way. I prefer to book Amtrak trips by calling a real agent. When I have a question about a service I'm paying for, I prefer to call and talk about it instead of emailing. (The exception being time warner cable, since even the local numbers transfer me to an overseas call center) Talking to a real person gives me a feeling of accountability on the businesses' part.

That being said, I can see how automation could make boarding processes more smooth.

 

[Headache]

I'm with you on this Cina, including Comcasts terribad 3rd party customer service. Then again I'm a special needs traveler and trying to get things done through an automated service is a test of patience and of not breaking whatever electronic device I'm using until I can get a real person on the other end.