Flying with child...will I need her birth certificate?

[pjynx]

I've never flown with dd before. She is 6 so she obviously doesn't have a driver's license yet or even a state ID. Will I need any kind of ID for her? A birth certificate? Or since she is traveling with me and dh, will we be ok with no ID for her? Thanks!

 

[GillieRose]

I called the our airline about needing one and they said as long as they are traveling with you they don't need any id's. I probably will still take theres just to be safe.

 

[lpberg]

You do not need to bring ID for your children (especially birth certificates) unless you are travelling internationally. You can always check with your air carrier directly, but that's the general rule.

I wouldn't bring any kind of ID for your kids with you - god forbid you lost any of that paperwork (birth cert or SS card!).

 

[pjynx]

Ok, thanks for the responses!

 

[NotUrsula]

You do not need to bring ID for your children (especially birth certificates) unless you are travelling internationally.

This is true *if* the child is occupying a paid-for seat that was paid for as an adult fare-class. If you have taken advantage of any kind of special fare that is dependent on age, you should be prepared to present documentation that proves the child's age. Airlines may force you to pay the fare difference on the spot if you can't. (This goes triple if you are travelling with a walking lap baby; if the flight is full you may be denied boarding unless you can prove that child is under 2 yrs. old.)

If a child is flying internationally, she pretty much needs a passport. (Right now you don't need a passport for Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean, but that is about to change, so the best rule of thumb for Americans is to make sure that each traveller has a passport if you are leaving the US at any point.)

 

[Tinkerbelle99]

When we flew to Orlando in February and a flight last year to NYC, I was asked for ID for DD5. I presented them with her birth certificate and they proceeded to ask her questions (what is your name, your birthday, who is this person (pointing at me), etc).

By the same token, we have flown and not been asked. But I would go the safe route and bring it. It doesnt cost anything to carry it and could save you a lot of frustration down the road.

 

[chrisann]

Is it just me or is it kind of scary that with everything going on in the world today, that a child doesn't need id to prove they're with their parents, even for domestic flights? When we travel with our kids, we always have their id, I just assumed we needed to show that we had our own kids with us.. Hopefully they change that policy soon. That is just way too easy for kids to go missing from one state to another.

 

[pooh4evr]

we got back last night, flew southwest, brought birth certs for 4 and 1 yr old but never need them.

 

[lulugirl]

I always bring a copy of Dd's birth certificate but I've never had to show it.

 

[nemomama]

Wow, I can't believe all these people have never needed ID for their children when flying! I have always been told that you do need to bring a birth certificate or passport as identification for minor children, even when flying domestic. We've flown several times w/ DD who's almost 2 and have always brought her birth certificate and been asked to present it at check-in - even when she was a "lap child". We got her a passport and will use that for future trips. I'm not worried about losing it because I just keep it in my wallet, and you can always get another birth certificate if you did lose it (at least in my state).
I say definitely bring her birth certificate.

 

[jodifla]

We've flown with DS a half-dozen times, and I don't ever remember being asked for his birth certificate.

 

[lpberg]

I just called Delta and United (for what it's worth), and confirmed with my brother who works for one of those two major carriers. Neither airline requires *any* kind of documentation for minors traveling with their parents (meaning: they don't need their birth cert or proof of age). It's a different story if it is a minor traveling WITHOUT Mom & Dad.

I've NEVER been asked for proof of my DD's (5) age or that she's "mine" (yes that part IS kind of scary but if you look at her and then me, I can't deny her!). She was asked when she was just about to turn two how old she was, but that's it.

That being said, I only called two airlines and there are several out there. I don't know what each individual airline's policy is on this, so I stress again that you should call your own airline to verify their policy.

And I personally would never bring any EXTREMELY important documentation with me when I travel - birth cert, Social Security card, marriage license, etc. If that information ever fell into the wrong hands....... It's the same reason I don't bring a purse with me and only carry my ID and 1 credit card in a slim wallet that fits in my pocket.

Can you tell that this topic hit home???? I'm down off my soapbox now..... Sorry!

Lynne

 

[happynewyorker]

No identification. Bring copy of brith certificate just in case.

 

[happynewyorker]

No identification. Bring copy of brith certificate just in case. Not for small children.

 

[NotUrsula]

And I personally would never bring any EXTREMELY important documentation with me when I travel - birth cert, Social Security card, marriage license, etc.

The most valuable (to a thief) document of that sort that exists is a passport, which is, of course, created just for travel. Verifiable identification documents tend to be most used when one is away from home; after all, people who know and associate with you frequently don't tend to ask for proof of your identity, age or citizenship status.

All of the documents you mentioned are very easy to replace; a small fee and a letter to Vital Records or the SS Administration will get you a replacement certified copy. I have at least 3 certified copies of all of them salted around, in my house, in my safe-deposit box, and (along with the photo page of my passport) sealed in an envelope in my personnel file at work; if I were stranded overseas I would call there to have them fax copies.

I'm careful with them when I carry them while travelling, just as I'm careful with the receipt for my airfare, but if I think I might need any of them in order to get where I'm going, I do carry them on my person. (Of course, since DS has had a passport since birth, I just carry that whenever we travel, even domestically. It's unassailable ID and proof of citizenship. Very compact and easy to carry, too.)

 

[bscs]

never needed them but I always bring them (birth certificate and SS#) I rather be prepared incase. Someone said they don't bring them worried they lose them it's not that hard to get another birth certificate at the town office they were born and ss card is not a big deal getting another one either. I wish they would ask all traveling children id maybe it would save the life of a child someday being kidnapped.

 

[NotUrsula]

I wish they would ask all traveling children id maybe it would save the life of a child someday being kidnapped.

Just to make you feel a bit better on this topic, as a practical matter, a child who is kidnapped via air is not likely to be in danger of losing his/her life. A kidnapper who would take the child on a plane is likely to be a noncustodial parent or other extended family member; it happens most often in custody disputes where there is a bit of time to maneuver during a visitation period.

It would not make sense for someone bent on foul play to move a child by air; air travel is too easy to track because of the ID required for the adult. That kind of kidnapping is much less likely, but if it happened the kidnapper would almost certainly use a motor vehicle.