In order to catch a plane these days I think you can avoid this roadblock if you renew your license early. Correct me if I’m in error. The following applies to Ohio, maybe all states:
I promised to do further research on this topic but I’m in a time crunch before my surgery in Atlanta Feb. 10. So I’ll just quote a little from the Ohio Department of Public Safety Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ “Acceptable Documents List Compliant DL-ID Card: To prove identity, you must show proof of the following five elements:”
1. U.S. Birth Certificate [if your name has not changed since birth]. *Additional Proof of Legal Name Documents–Is your current full legal name the same as the name listed on your identity document? If the documents presented do not prove full legal name and/or are inconsistent with your current [valid, unexpired] , BMV record, additional documents must be presented.
Marriage Certificate or Marriage License : NOTE: If you have more than one marriage, you may need to bring documentation from each marriage and/or divorce to connect with your birth certificate, [valid, unexpired] passport or USCIS documents to your current legal name. Permanent Resident Card (form I-551) must show current legal name.
My daughter dealt with this requirement before her license expired, and her license has a red star printed on her license which is an A-OK sign to ride an airplane..
I won’t spell out the other four elements–less troublesome to me.