TSA to Charge $45 Fee For Air Travelers Without Proper ID

The Transportation Security Administration on Monday said all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID at airports will have an option to pay a $45 fee to use TSA Confirm.ID, an alternative identity verification system, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026.

Travelers will be able to pay the fee to use TSA Confirm.ID for a 10-day travel period. The TSA urged travelers who do not have a REAL ID to schedule an appointment at their local DMV to update their ID as soon as possible.

All travelers without an acceptable ID, including those who present a non-REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID, will be referred to the optional TSA Confirm.ID process for identity verification upon TSA check-in and prior to entering the security line. 

"This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer," TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said in a statement. "The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights.”

Acceptable forms of ID include:

• REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
  • If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state Department of Motor Vehicles.
  • A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.
• State-issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)
• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

The TSA urged all travelers who do not have a REAL ID to pay the fee online before traveling. For passengers who arrive at the airport without paying the fee, information about how to pay for the TSA Confirm.ID option will be available at marked locations at or near the checkpoint in most airports. Travelers who undergo TSA Confirm.ID processing at an airport should expect delays.