TSA Implements New $45 Identity Check Fee for Air Travelers Without REAL ID

February 3, 2026

The Transportation security administration (TSA) has implemented a new fee that will impact on passengers who reach the airport level of security without any federally approved identification. Starting this Sunday, persons without a license with a REAL ID, passport, or other acceptable forms of identification should pay a 45 dollars identity verification fee to be allowed to pass through airport checkpoints.

The fee will be charged to individuals who require the use of the alternative identity verification program offered by TSA called TSA ConfirmID at the screening point, in case of a lack of valid documentation. The fee includes a 10-day travel period, under which it will help in verifying the identity of the individual, even though one can have some return flights within a 10-day travel period.

According to TSA officials, the new process is related to the implementation of the requirements of the rectangle of real ID by the federal law, which came into effect in May 2025 but is in full effect across the country. Over 90 percent of the passengers are already carrying an acceptable form of ID, but the other passengers do not have to pay the fee and go through additional screening procedures.

The passengers are advised to do the ConfirmID procedure online, make payments in advance of coming to the airport, to eliminate the delays in the long queues, because identity checks at the checkpoints might take more time. The travelers who do not make payments beforehand may experience waits of up to 30 to 60 minutes and even longer, and verification is not ensured to access flights in the case of the inability to verify the identity.

The TSA proposes that passengers should obtain a REAL ID issued by their state motor vehicle authority or alternative acceptable identification documents to help them bypass the extra fee and potential delays.

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