Starting Feb. 1, passengers without a REAL ID will be charged $45 by TSA for U.S. domestic flights unless they present another accepted ID. TSA’s new ConfirmID portal lets travelers submit their information, pay the fee online and receive a receipt to present at the checkpoint. The fee is valid for 10 days from the travel start date and is non-refundable; verification typically takes 10–15 minutes but can take longer. Acceptable alternatives include passports, military IDs and DHS Trusted Traveler cards.
Starting Feb. 1: TSA Will Charge $45 For Travelers Without REAL ID — Use ConfirmID To Pay Online
REAL ID enforcement began in May 2025. Starting February 1, a $45 fee goes into effect for travelers without a compliant ID. - Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Beginning Feb. 1, travelers who do not have a REAL ID-compliant credential will face a $45 fee from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to board U.S. domestic flights unless they present an accepted form of identification.
TSA has launched ConfirmID, an online portal that lets affected passengers enter their details, submit a travel start date and pay the $45 fee ahead of time. Paying online produces a receipt that travelers present at the security checkpoint along with a government-issued ID to speed verification.
Who This Affects
TSA officials say about 94% of passengers who pass through checkpoints already hold a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of ID (for example, a passport), leaving roughly 6% of travelers affected by the new enforcement phase.
Travelers wait in line at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at San Francisco International Airport on November 25, 2025. - David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
How ConfirmID Works
- Visit the ConfirmID portal and enter your full legal name and travel start date.
- Pay the $45 fee online to receive a digital receipt.
- Bring the receipt plus any government-issued ID to the TSA checkpoint. A TSA officer will use both to complete the verification.
At the checkpoint, be prepared to provide your legal name, address and date of birth to finish the ConfirmID verification. TSA says the identity check typically takes 10–15 minutes but could take 30 minutes or more in some cases.
Fee Details and Validity
The $45 ConfirmID payment is valid for travel beginning on the date you enter into the portal and remains valid for 10 days from that travel start date. If you have multiple trips within that 10-day window you can use the same receipt; travel beyond that period requires a new payment or, preferably, obtaining a REAL ID. The fee is non-refundable.
Alternatives and Additional Tips
- Acceptable alternatives include a U.S. passport, military ID, mobile ID (where available), DHS Trusted Traveler cards, permanent resident cards, border crossing cards and certain foreign government-issued passports — see TSA.gov for the full list.
- REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses often display a star at the top; some states use other markers (for example, California's golden bear). Check your state DMV or Secretary of State website if you're unsure.
- The REAL ID requirement applies to travelers 18 years and older. Children under 18 are not required to show ID for domestic flights when traveling with an adult.
- If you wait to complete ConfirmID at the checkpoint you may lose your place in line while the process is completed.
“February 1 is really the next phase of REAL ID compliance enforcement,” said Steve Lorincz, deputy executive assistant administrator at TSA, explaining the rollout and the ConfirmID option for those without compliant IDs.
If you travel frequently and do not yet have a REAL ID-compliant license, officials recommend visiting your state DMV or issuing office to obtain one rather than repeatedly paying the fee. For full details and the complete list of acceptable IDs, visit TSA.gov.
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