Yes, it does have your picture, your name and a star, but a Costco membership card is not a replacement for a Real ID.

The Transportation Security Administration recently posted a reminder to its social media accounts, “Can’t fly on hot dogs and hope. Your Costco Gold Star Membership card might score you a 48-pack of TP, magical rotisserie chicken and a hot dog and soda that defies inflation, but it won’t get you through a TSA checkpoint.”

The New York Times said every few months, Reddit brings up using the Costco card as an ID replacement at the airport.

People online claim they have used their Costco card as their ID when they lost or forgot their normal one, USA Today reported.

This time it was an article on Chowhound that spread the misinformation, citing Reddit posts.

But it isn’t that simple.

The card could be used to verify who you are if you have no other form of identification, according to the Times.

TSA Spokesperson Lori Dankers said it could be used as a starting point for verification, but not a total pass through security.

“Let me tell you something about that. Whoever wrote that story is recycling old material,” Dankers told SF Gate. “Essentially, what the process they’re describing is … let’s say you lost your ID and only had a Costco card in your pocket. That would help establish a baseline identity for you. The TSA officer would use that as a starting point to confirm your identity, but they would still have to go through our identity verification process.”

That means TSA agents would have to use additional means to confirm you say who you are and you may have to undergo additional screenings, the Times said.

You may have to provide your two previous addresses for example, SF Gate said.

Dankers said the Costco card is better than nothing but, “We don’t want to oversell this as an option.”

Chowhound ended up adding a clarification which reads in part, “A previous version of this article stated TSA is likely to accept a Costco membership card in lieu of a valid form of ID. TSA does not explicitly state you can use a Costco card as a form of identification, and ends with “Now with the Real ID requirements, it is even less likely to get you through TSA quickly or successfully."

So what should you do if you don’t have a Real ID? You can use a state-issued enhanced driver’s license; a permanent resident card, also known as a green card; valid passport or passport card or a trusted traveler identification from Global Entry or NEXUS.

The Real ID requirement went into effect on May 7, USA Today reported.

© 2025 Cox Media Group