‘It was so scary’; Florida woman shows up at airport without her wallet or ID. She still makes her flight, but at what cost?

Forgetting your ID at home does not necessarily mean you will miss your flight, as one TikTok user recently found out. But getting through the airport without it is far from a smooth experience, and it comes with a serious cost in time and stress.

In May 2025, the rules for air travel ID changed significantly. From that point on, only REAL ID-compliant identification cards became acceptable for domestic flights, replacing the old standard driver’s licenses and regular ID cards. Many expected the change to cause major disruption at airports, but the rollout went relatively smoothly.

According to The Mary Sue, Liv, known as @lilhoppytoe2.0 on TikTok, shared her airport experience in a video that got over 126,000 views. “I don’t have my license and I just got to the airport,” she said in the video. “So, let’s see what happens.” She later confirmed she did make her flight, but it was not easy.

Forgetting your ID at the airport puts you through a tough identity verification process

Liv had forgotten her wallet, which she admitted is not entirely unlike her. “If you know me, that’s not the craziest thing,” she said. “I forget something every time I go anywhere. But, the wallet is a first.” The mistake led to about 20 minutes of intense questioning. “Being questioned with, like, 45 different questions,” is how she described the process. She is not the only one to have a disorienting airport experience, as another woman once woke up confused at an airport in a similarly strange situation.

The questions were extremely specific, going as far as asking about the color of her car. “They knew everything. It was so scary,” Liv recalled. She said the officers used a “good cop, bad cop” approach, which left her crying and shaking. Eventually, one officer told the other to “lay off.” Despite the ordeal, Liv confirmed that flying without an ID is possible, but she does not recommend it “unless you have a lot of free time before.”

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), travelers without acceptable ID may still be allowed to fly, but they have to go through additional steps. Acceptable forms of ID include a REAL ID-compliant card, a passport, or certain digital IDs such as Apple Digital ID and Google ID pass.

If a traveler has none of these, they can use the TSA’s ConfirmID program. This service costs $45 and involves identity verification through questions and background checks, which is likely what Liv went through. However, the TSA does not guarantee this service is available at every airport, so it is not something travelers should rely on. Airport travel does not always go as planned – a full plane of passengers stranded by an airline is another example of how quickly things can go wrong.

Many users in Liv’s comments section said they had been through similar situations. One wrote, “I lost my wallet in Vail and was allowed to fly home. It was a pain but they let me on. It’s not like I was going to just live in Denver!” Another said, “This happened to me in California. They pulled me into a room asked me 1 million questions and let me go.” A third added, “Yep. They call homeland security and ask all the questions. Happened to me in Boston.”