The Updated ID Has Been Required Since May, but Travelers Without Were Still Cleared Security With Extra Screening and a Warning
Air travelers in the U.S. who show up without a REAL ID will soon have to pay for it. The Transportation Security Administration announced that beginning in February, passengers flying domestically without a REAL ID or another accepted form of identification will be charged a non-refundable $45 fee to verify their identity.
The upgraded ID has technically been required since May, but TSA has so far allowed travelers without it to clear security after additional screening and a warning. The Department of Homeland Security says about 94 percent of passengers are already compliant, and the new fee is meant to push the rest to finally get the updated identification.
REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It’s marked in most states with a white star inside a yellow circle. Getting one requires bringing additional documents to the DMV, a process that was supposed to roll out back in 2008 but has been repeatedly delayed for more than a decade.
Starting Feb. 1, travelers 18 and older who don’t have a REAL ID or another accepted document such as a passport, military ID, permanent resident card, or a photo ID from a federally recognized tribal nation will have to pay the $45 fee to use TSA’s alternative Confirm.ID system. TSA officials warned that paying the fee does not guarantee verification. If a traveler’s identity still can’t be confirmed, they may be denied entry to the security checkpoint. For those who are approved, the verification lasts for a 10-day travel window.
The fee can be paid online in advance or at the airport before entering the security line, although the process may take up to 30 minutes. TSA originally proposed an $18 fee, but raised the price after determining the identity-verification program would cost more to operate than anticipated.
TSA also accepts digital IDs through Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet and similar platforms at more than 250 airports nationwide.
