Can I Use A Temporary Iowa Drivers License To Board A Plane?

I did it so you don't have to!

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I'm not proud to admit it, but I have a tendency to lose things. Maybe I'm just forgetful or maybe I just have a short attention span...

I'm still in the process of unpacking my things after moving into a new apartment recently. Unfortunately, one of the things I lost was my entire wallet somehow...

Every single day, I constantly amaze myself.

I realized that my wallet was missing mere DAYS before I was set to fly to the East Coast for my cousin's wedding. Luckily, I managed to get a duplicate license at my local DMV the day of my flight.

Close call, right?

In Iowa, you receive a temporary paper drivers license that looks like an exact mock up of what your drivers license will look like when it's printed.

Then, I was off straight to Chicago's O'Hare Airport to catch my flight. After struggling to find parking and other misadventures I just managed to make it to my terminal mere minutes before boarding was supposed to start.

Once I got to the TSA security guy, I was in for a very long and somewhat frustrating situation. If you're flying anywhere with a paper drivers license, there are a few things you should know.

Flying With A Temporary Paper Iowa Drivers License

• You will have to go through an extra security clearance. TSA will take you aside and question you about why you have this AND ask you certain questions to verify that it's actually you.
• Bring a credit or debit card that has your name on it. They will accept the temporary license as ID but you'll need something else that has your name on it to verify your identity.
• Get to security early. The screening process will put a halt to your flight plans. You should take into account an extra 20 minutes for this entire process.
• Be prepared to be stared at. There were two security officials taking IDs and boarding passes, and one of them had to stop what they were doing for a few minutes to deal with me and my temporary ID. I definitely felt people's annoyed looks on me while I went through extra screening.