4 ms·

What do you use for an ID? Passport card? State issued ID?

JumpCrisscross 7y ago
> State issued ID? This.
mumblemumble 7y ago
A non-driver's state ID works for everything you'd use a driver's license for except operating a motor vehicle. Even though people typically say, "Driver's license" when they really mean either kind of state-issued ID card.
- koheripbal 7y ago
  Isn't a driver's license nearly as easy to renew as a non-driving state ID? I don't see the point, even if you only need to rent a car on rare instances.
  - II2II 7y ago
    There are people who choose not to drive. If you have never had a license, there is nothing to renew. Then there are people who do not qualify for a driver's license (e.g. medical reasons). Heck, I've lived most of my (middle-aged) life without ID and probably haven't used it in the past three years.
  - closeparen 7y ago
    Driver’s Ed isn’t a rite of passage for New York City kids like it is in suburbia. Lots of people just never learned.
  - kelnos 7y ago
    Usually the state ID is cheaper, but not so much that if you already have a driver's license you'd "downgrade", most likely. YMMV, though.
entropicdrifter 7y ago
It's generally a bad idea to carry your passport around just because it has your SSN printed on it
- JumpCrisscross 7y ago
  > passport...has your SSN printed on it My U.S. passport certainly doesn’t. (Agree that it’s a poor form of primary identification. It is bulky. It is difficult to replace. And it contains more information than you need for identification.)
- ComputerGuru 7y ago
  Does it really? I can’t find anything to agree with that.
- kube-system 7y ago
  US passports do not have SSNs printed on them.
- zymhan 7y ago
  No, it's generally a bad idea to carry it around in a foreign country when you don't need it that day, as having it pickpocketed would suck. Having it pickpocketed in the US would be far less of a headache, minus lacking an ID for a few weeks.
  - njarboe 7y ago
    This is bad advice. You will need it in almost any country when getting stopped by the police. That can happen any time. This will be more of a problem in some countries than others. If you really can't find a way to carry it without getting pick pocketed then a least carry a xeroxed copy with you.
- mmhsieh 7y ago
  this is not true. but if you need to carry around proof of passport there is a passport card you can get for North American travel only.
r00fus 7y ago
Being carded for buying liquor. 2ndary auth for CC charge (rare now). Proof of status (veteran/senior). Voting (where required).

> State issued ID? This.

A non-driver's state ID works for everything you'd use a driver's license for except operating a motor vehicle. Even though people typically say, "Driver's license" when they really mean either kind of state-issued ID card.

koheripbal 7y ago
Isn't a driver's license nearly as easy to renew as a non-driving state ID? I don't see the point, even if you only need to rent a car on rare instances.
- II2II 7y ago
  There are people who choose not to drive. If you have never had a license, there is nothing to renew. Then there are people who do not qualify for a driver's license (e.g. medical reasons). Heck, I've lived most of my (middle-aged) life without ID and probably haven't used it in the past three years.
- closeparen 7y ago
  Driver’s Ed isn’t a rite of passage for New York City kids like it is in suburbia. Lots of people just never learned.
- kelnos 7y ago
  Usually the state ID is cheaper, but not so much that if you already have a driver's license you'd "downgrade", most likely. YMMV, though.

entropicdrifter 7y ago

It's generally a bad idea to carry your passport around just because it has your SSN printed on it

JumpCrisscross 7y ago
> passport...has your SSN printed on it My U.S. passport certainly doesn’t. (Agree that it’s a poor form of primary identification. It is bulky. It is difficult to replace. And it contains more information than you need for identification.)
ComputerGuru 7y ago
Does it really? I can’t find anything to agree with that.
kube-system 7y ago
US passports do not have SSNs printed on them.
zymhan 7y ago
No, it's generally a bad idea to carry it around in a foreign country when you don't need it that day, as having it pickpocketed would suck. Having it pickpocketed in the US would be far less of a headache, minus lacking an ID for a few weeks.
- njarboe 7y ago
  This is bad advice. You will need it in almost any country when getting stopped by the police. That can happen any time. This will be more of a problem in some countries than others. If you really can't find a way to carry it without getting pick pocketed then a least carry a xeroxed copy with you.
mmhsieh 7y ago
this is not true. but if you need to carry around proof of passport there is a passport card you can get for North American travel only.

r00fus 7y ago

Being carded for buying liquor. 2ndary auth for CC charge (rare now). Proof of status (veteran/senior). Voting (where required).