Your Costco Membership Card? No, It Is Not a Replacement for Real ID.

New York Times

8 hours ago

The membership card that gets you a $1.50 hot dog combo meal will not, in fact, get you past Transportation Security Administration agents.
That's what airport security officials are reminding travelers as some forget the details for Real ID, which require passengers navigating through airport security checkpoints to present a federally compliant, security-enhanced, star- or flag-emblazoned form of identification.
And that big gold star on Costco cards does not count.
'Can't fly on hot dogs and hope,' the T.S.A. posted across its social media accounts on Wednesday. 'Your Costco Gold Star Membership card might score you a 48-pack of TP, magical rotisserie chicken and a hot dog and soda that defies inflation, but it won't get you through a TSA checkpoint.'
While the T.S.A. is known to have a sense of humor online (the agency's Instagram handle is @tsa, but the name is Travel Tips & Dad Joke Hits 🎶), the post was meant as a genuine reminder to those who think the membership card could be a true replacement for a government-issued identification.
Every few months, a Reddit thread points travelers to this tip: If you end up at the airport without a proper ID, try your Costco card instead.
'That's the realest ID,' someone commented. 'It's got the gold star they want to see,' another said.
Some posts make it sound easy: Get through security with the same card that gets you bulk-size deals.
On May 25, the food site Chowhound picked up a thread that ran that advice under the promising headline 'How Your Costco Card Can Save You at the Airport.'
On June 3, the article was updated to include a disclosure: The T.S.A. does not explicitly state that a Costco card can be used as a form of identification. With new Real ID requirements, using your membership card on its own is not going to get you through security.
There is no Kirkland special at the airport.
However, because Costco membership cards include your photo and name, it may help T.S.A. agents confirm your identity if you have no other form of identification. Still, it is not a replacement for a government-issued form of identification.
T.S.A. agents would most likely have to take additional measures to confirm your identity, and you could be pulled aside for additional screening.
If you are about to travel and you don't have a Real ID, you can get through airport security with a state-issued enhanced driver's license, a permanent resident card (also known as a green card), a valid passport, a passport card or identification for trusted traveler programs like Global Entry and NEXUS.
But don't leave your Costco card at home. The big-box store has hundreds of locations around the world, and they all take the same membership card.