Are You On A No Fly List?

Every day millions of Americans fly to various destinations around the country and abroad. Although most of these people don’t have a problem, there are a few that run into problems after 9/11. One of the problems that a person may find they have is that they have been added to the airport no-fly list.

The no-fly list was designed to stop people from flying who might be a hazard or thought to be dangerous, for one reason or another. However, in recent years, there have been a number of individuals who were mistakenly placed on the no-fly list. These mistakes happen because of misspelled names and identities that appear to be the same as a person who is dangerous.

For instance, if you have the name John Smith, you might be placed on the no-fly list, because there are a number of John Smiths whose name is bogus. You may not be bogus, however. there may be 10 other John Smiths out there who are looking to doing something wrong while flying.

So what do you do about it? You can get your name taken off of the no-fly list, but you should remember that you’re dealing with bureaucracy, and nothing happens overnight with the government.

If you’re notified that you are on the no-fly list at the airport, you can be certain that you won’t be able to board an airplane and fly. Airport security can’t take your word for it that you are not at risk. If you go to the airport, airport security might even detain you, which of course leads to a bigger hassle. What’s you’re released, you will then be able to take steps to have your name removed from the no-fly list. But, know this; you definitely won’t be flying anytime soon.

The first thing you’re going to need to do in order to get your name off of the no-fly list is to contact the Transportation Security Administration or the TSA. You will be provided with contact information by airport security. You need to make that call as soon as possible, or visit the Transportation Security Administration website, where you can easily get a phone number and information about who to call as well as information that allows you to order forms to be mailed to you to fill out.

When you get the forms, you can fill them out and submit them with three pieces of identification. The accepted types of identification include your drivers license, a military card, Social Security or voter registration card, your passport or birth certificate. After submitting all the required documents, you will have to wait for the government to process them and remove you from the no-fly list.

This could take up to a few months, or as little as a couple of weeks, so if you’re planning on traveling you will want to get started with this early on. Once your name is removed, you will once again be able to fly.

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