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TSA Announces New $45 Fee for Passengers Without a Real ID

Close-up of a TSA officer holding a Real ID notice at the airport

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Starting in February, travelers who show up at the airport without a Real ID could be forced to pay $45 to fly under a new enforcement policy from the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA.

Officials say the rules aim to ensure all passengers are traveling with their own, valid identification. In a statement announcing the rule on Monday, Adam Stahl, the TSA's acting deputy administrator, said strict identity verification keeps "terrorists, criminals and illegal aliens out of the skies."

Starting in a few months, passengers lacking satisfactory identification will "pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system" called TSA Confirm.ID. Confirm.ID is designed to help travelers without Real ID get through security. It's expected to take an average of 10 to 15 minutes to verify an identity through Confirm.ID, though the TSA acknowledges the process could stretch up to 30 minutes.

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What is the TSA’s new $45 Real ID fee?

The REAL ID Act of 2005 created an additional layer of identity verification for domestic travelers. However, prolonged delays pushed back airport enforcement by many years. At one point, the TSA was supposed to start requiring Real IDs in 2018, but that timeline was abandoned.

The deadline to have a Real ID at TSA checkpoints finally arrived this past May. So far, passengers without Real IDs have still been able to board flights; they've just been advised to budget extra time to get through security.

The new fee takes effect Feb. 1. On that date, the agency says passengers without a Real ID or a valid alternative option will begin paying the fee and using the revamped Confirm.ID system at airport security checkpoints. Confirm.ID is valid for 10 days.

Officials said that 94% of passengers are currently using a Real ID or other compliant identification, such as passports. But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of passengers each week who are traveling without a Real ID — and they could soon be subject to the new fee if they don't act quickly.

All state motor vehicle departments have offered Real ID driver's licenses or compliant alternatives for years. Showing a driver's license will continue to be the easiest method for many passengers to prove their identity, while U.S. passports and foreign passports remain acceptable forms of ID for domestic flights.

The TSA will also continue to accept these alternative forms of identification:

State-issued enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or enhanced ID (EID)
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
A photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
HSPD-12 PIV card
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation worker identification credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

Can you still fly without a Real ID?

The TSA is urging travelers without a Real ID to make appointments to get one through their local motor vehicle department. Upgrading to a Real ID often requires additional documents and in-person appointments.

Passengers without Real IDs who opt to pay the new $45 fee will use the Confirm.ID system, which could lead to longer wait times to get through security, according to the TSA.

"This process will differ airport to airport, and TSA is working with private industry to proactively offer online payment options prior to arrival at the airport," Monday's TSA announcement said.

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