Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification are subject to a new fee starting Sunday.
No REAL ID yet? You can still fly, but it may cost $45 without another form of accepted ID
That little star on your U.S. driver’s license is about to save you $45.
Beginning Sunday, air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, are subject to a new fee.
It isn’t a penalty or a fine – it’s payment for non-compliant travelers to use the Transportation Security Administration’s new alternate identity verification option called ConfirmID. But the process takes extra time, and paying the fee doesn’t guarantee you’ll make your flight.
The Department of Homeland Security says most U.S. travelers are already compliant and that the fee is meant to encourage the rest – those without a star-marked REAL ID – to obtain one.
Still, the new fee may catch some passengers off guard, so here’s a breakdown:
It is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept.
