Madison County clerk Mike Kelly warns temporary DMV receipts won't work at TSA checkpoints

Madison County Clerk Mike Kelly warned residents that a recent change to the county DMV’s software now produces temporary licenses as plain paper receipts with barcodes rather than card-stock temporary licenses, and those receipts will not be accepted at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport checkpoints.

"The receipt when you do a license transaction is no longer a card stock temporary license. It's now a regular sheet of paper with a barcode that is your temporary license," Kelly said. He added that the paper receipt is fine for driving but "will not work at a TSA checkpoint at the airport."

Kelly told listeners that if they are within about two weeks of planned air travel, the county will not be able to provide a full license in time at the counter. He advised those travelers to "bite the bullet a day or two before your flight, pay the $45 fee, go through the TSA special program of getting vetted and answering questions and getting a code on your phone in order to get through the checkpoint line." "The temporary license from our office will not get you through that line," he said.

For people with more than two weeks before travel, Kelly recommended obtaining the full license through the DMV in advance. He also cautioned procrastinators that they should "have in mind... that you need a month to get that license in hand" if they want to avoid last-minute issues at the airport.

Kelly closed by urging residents to plan ahead so they do not get delayed at airport security.