NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A woman and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation was trying to get home to Oklahoma when she ran into what could have been a bit of a snag. 

A security agent at Norfolk International Airport would not accept her tribal ID card as a valid form of identification to board the plane.

“It was actually more upsetting than I thought it would be,” said Amanda Clinton. “I was very frustrated.”

Clinton’s plane landed in Friday in Hampton Roads. She was headed to Old Dominion University to see the football game against North Texas, but on Sunday when she was trying to leave, Clinton got a surprise from TSA.

“I handed my boarding pass and my photo ID to the TSA agent,” Clinton added.

Clinton told 10 On Your Side the agent wouldn’t take it.

“She looked at it and she took a little while to look at it and then she said ‘do you have something else?'” the TSA agent asked. “I said ‘yes I do, but this is an acceptable form of ID per TSA guidelines.'”

Clinton is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.  She was using her tribal ID, which is comparable to a military ID.

Clinton says she has never had a problem before using the ID in other U.S. cities. Instead of making a scene she grabbed her passport and boarded the plane.

“She could have called a supervisor over or checked her list of acceptable IDs and notice that it says on the list on the TSA’s own website tribal issued IDs,” Clinton said.

10 On Your Side reached out to TSA and they said the Cherokee Nation ID should have been accepted. Clinton says she tweeted the TSA and was told Norfolk agents would be reminded what flies and what doesn’t when it comes to IDs.

“I don’t want anyone to get in trouble, but I think there needs to be awareness brought to the forefront that these are valid,” Clinton added.