Airline travelers without a Real ID will pay a $45 fee to pass through security checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday.
Airline travelers who attempt to pass through security checkpoints without a Real ID will be subject to the Transportation Security Administration’s new security screening program and pay a new fee of $45.
On Monday, the TSA announced that passengers without a Real ID or other TSA-approved form of identification have the option to verify their identity through the modernized alternative identity-verification program, officially called TSA Confirm.ID, beginning Feb. 1, 2026.
Those who choose to use TSA Confirm.ID will be charged a $45 fee — an increase from a previously announced $18 fee.
“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said Adam Stahl, acting deputy administrator for the TSA. “The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are.”What is Confirm.ID?
Starting Feb. 1, passengers arriving at U.S. airports will be presented with the TSA Confirm.ID option upon reaching a TSA check-in and before entering the security lines, according to 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,” according to a press release.
