Travel Considerations

We are delighted that your child is considering a wish experience involving domestic travel.

Before moving forward with a travel wish, there are several things that all wish families should know.

Identification Requirements for Air Travel

Per TSA requirements, all adult passengers aged 18 or older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint prior to travel. Valid forms of identification include:

  • Driver's license or other state photo identity cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) Beginning May 7, 2025, all state-issued IDs or driver’s licenses must be REAL ID compliant in order to be used for air travel. If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state motor vehicles department. 
  • U.S. passport 
  • U.S. passport card 
  • DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST) 
  • U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents 
  • Permanent resident card 
  • Border crossing card 
  • State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License 
  • An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
  • HSPD-12 PIV card 
  • Foreign government-issued passport 
  • Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card 
  • Transportation worker identification credential 
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766) 
  • U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential 
  • Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) 

Children under the age of 18 are not required to provide identification while traveling within the United States.

Traveling with Advance Parole Document (DACA)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection strongly recommends traveling with your U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) document showing deferred status in order to facilitate travel within the U.S. and its territories and return to your residence. Depending on the location of your travels, you may be subject to certain processes, including customs inspections.

Make-A-Wish is unable to provide wish families with legal guidance. This means that we cannot provide advice about whether travel may be safe or appropriate for your family, nor can we attempt to interpret the language of any law or executive order. If you have legal questions, we advise you to seek the advice of a legal expert. Information about pro bono (free) legal support can be found on this site operated by the U.S. Department of Justice, through resource identification websites such as FindHelp.org, or by searching for “pro bono legal services” and the name of your state.  

Make-A-Wish is unable to provide legal assistance to wish families should a wish participant be arrested or detained for any reason during the wish.

Should you have concerns about potential wish travel, we encourage you to contact your assigned wish coordinator directly. We will be happy to talk with you to discuss options.