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TSA to Charge $45 for Air Travelers Without Real ID or Verified Passport — Fee Starts Feb. 1

The TSA will start charging a $45 fee on Feb. 1 for airline passengers who cannot present a Real ID or a verified passport. Travelers who lack acceptable ID must register with TSA Confirm.ID and undergo enhanced screening. The agency raised the fee from a previously proposed $18 after concluding the extra screening costs were higher than expected. About 94% of flyers already carry acceptable identification, so the policy will affect a small minority.

04:07 AM, 12/02/2025Security
TSA to Charge $45 for Air Travelers Without Real ID or Verified Passport — Fee Starts Feb. 1

Beginning Feb. 1, the Transportation Security Administration will require airline passengers who cannot present a Real ID or a verified passport to pay a $45 fee for alternative identity verification, the agency announced. Travelers who lack an accepted ID must also register through an online portal called TSA Confirm.ID before receiving the additional screening.

Officials originally proposed an $18 fee to cover the "government-incurred costs" of enhanced screening, but later raised it to $45 after determining the actual costs of additional checks were higher than expected. The alternative verification process is resource- and time-intensive, the agency says, which is why the fee now reflects the estimated full cost of those screenings.

"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, a senior TSA official, explaining the policy.

The new rule is the next step in enforcing standards from the Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Real ID sets federal requirements for state-issued driver’s licenses and certain other identity documents. Although the law was enacted in 2005 with an initial enforcement date of 2008, implementation was delayed for years; Real ID requirements went into effect in May of this year.

According to the TSA, about 94% of air travelers already use a Real ID or another acceptable form of identification, so the fee is expected to affect a small minority of flyers—roughly 6%. Currently accepted IDs include a Real ID-compliant driver's license, a valid passport, certain tribal IDs, and other specified government-issued identification.

What travelers should know

  • Fee and registration: $45 for alternative identity verification; registration through TSA Confirm.ID is required.
  • Accepted IDs: Real ID-compliant licenses, valid passports, tribal IDs, and other approved government IDs.
  • Timing: Fee takes effect Feb. 1. Expect potential delays if you require alternative screening.
  • Why the fee: TSA says the added screening requires extra time and resources, and the fee shifts the cost from taxpayers to travelers who do not present acceptable ID.

All U.S. states and territories now issue Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses, but older licenses may not meet updated federal standards. If you are unsure whether your ID qualifies, contact your state Department of Motor Vehicles well before travel. To avoid delays and unexpected fees, consider obtaining a Real ID or traveling with a passport when possible.

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