TSA Begins Charging a $45 Fee for Travelers Without REAL ID

The Transportation Security Administration began enforcing a stricter phase of the REAL ID Act on February 1, requiring travelers 18 and older to present a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, a US passport or passport card, a DHS Trusted Traveler card such as Global Entry, or a military ID to pass through security.

Travelers who arrive without acceptable identification now face a $45 fee to be verified through TSA's alternative system, known as ConfirmID, which checks identity through other means before allowing passage. TSA has warned that travelers routed through ConfirmID screening should expect delays of 30 minutes or more, and that even after paying the fee, boarding is not guaranteed if identity cannot be confirmed.

The tighter enforcement follows a phase-in period after the REAL ID Act's baseline requirements took effect in May 2025, giving states and travelers extra time to obtain compliant identification before the stricter checkpoint rules kicked in.

Airports and state DMVs saw a renewed rush of REAL ID applications in the weeks leading up to the February 1 deadline, as travelers who had been putting off the upgrade scrambled to avoid the new fee and screening delays.