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My brother in law traveled to NY about 3 years ago and is living there. But he has no photo i.d. I am not sure why he cannot get one. I've tried talking to him but not working. He wants to go back to Florida in a year or two but cannot buy a plane ticket without a photo id. He was told Amtrak does not require a photo id. You can purchase a ticket online without a photo id, but it seems the conductors go through the train periodically to ask for tickets and ID's. Is this true, and what if a person cannot produce photo id? Is he thrown off train?
Passenger Identification
Amtrak has undertaken heightened security measures for the benefit of our customers.
Valid Photo ID Required
Amtrak customers 18 years of age and older must produce valid photo identification when:
Exchanging, refunding or reprinting Amtrak travel documents
Purchasing documents with a stored eVoucher or Transportation Credit
Traveling as a Pass Rider (active or retired)
Storing baggage at stations
Checking baggage (including firearms)
Sending Amtrak Express shipments
Asked onboard trains by train crew members, other Amtrak or operating railroad employees
Asked any time by Amtrak police or any law enforcement officer
Traveling into Canada
Guardian purchasing an unaccompanied minor travel documents or signing the release form
Following federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines, we regularly conduct random ticket verification checks onboard trains to ensure that passengers are properly ticketed. Please be prepared to show valid photo identification to a member of the onboard crew upon request.
Other than crossing into Canada on Amtrak, I have never been asked for photo ID on the train. Even crossing into Canada it was not Amtrak asking for the ID, but Canadian customs officials.
Traveling domestically should be fine, unless your brother is the type to start fights or otherwise cause disturbances on the train.
I suspect that the consequences for not producing ID are going to be related to the reason why he was asked for ID.
They do random checks here in ny ..if you are asked and can’t produces photo ID they can and likely will have you leave the train .you are taken to an office where they will use various data bases to confirm and learn why you are traveling without it ..that in itself raises a red flag ..
I doubt many of us here would leave the house without ID ....I wouldn’t think of taking a trip without it knowingly , especially via rail , or bus leaving the state
They do random checks here in ny ..if you are asked and can’t produces photo ID they can and likely will have you leave the train .you are taken to an office where they will use various data bases to confirm and learn why you are traveling without it ..that in itself raises a red flag ..
I doubt many of us here would leave the house without ID ....I wouldn’t think of taking a trip without it knowingly , especially via rail , or bus leaving the state
He is not well (mentally) and I've tried to help him but he resists my recommendations. No, I can't really help him long distance, he lives pretty far away. I was just wondering if, when they do checks on a long distance trip like that, and see he has no govt issued photo, if they automatically get him off the train. Someone told him Amtrak doesn't check so he seems to settle with that. My big question is really what is the policy if the person does not have a picture id. He is not violently inclined so I would think he would not cause a scene warranting expulsion from train. But still wondering if it would be conductor's discretion to evict a passenger w/o proper id, assuming he wasn't making any trouble or if they automatically get rid of a passenger without proper govt approved identification. I guess time will tell.
P.S. that's why he asked us to drive him but we are not in a position to do so.
Ticket and ID checks are pretty hit-or-miss on Amtrak, in my experience. It is rare that they make someone leave the train. You have to break onboard rules flagrantly before that happens. Like the woman in the Quiet Car who literally talked on her cell phone for 16 hours straight and wouldn't put her phone away or move to a different area.
Is it possible he could take a bus instead?
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