TSA to offer $45 identity verification option for travelers without REAL ID starting Feb. 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Transportation Security Administration will begin offering air travelers who lack acceptable identification the option to pay a $45 fee to verify their identity through a modernized system called TSA Confirm.ID, the agency announced Monday.
Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, passengers who arrive at airport security checkpoints without a REAL ID-compliant license, passport, or other approved identification will be referred to the optional fee-based process if they still wish to fly. The $45 payment will cover a 10-day travel period, TSA said.
TSA is urging travelers without a REAL ID to make an appointment with their local motor vehicle agency as soon as possible.
“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said Adam Stahl, Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA. “The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are. Beginning February 1, travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID at our security checkpoints and still want to fly can pay a $45 fee and undergo the TSA Confirm.ID process. This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer. 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 identification include REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, DHS trusted traveler cards, U.S. Department of Defense IDs, permanent resident cards, foreign passports, and several other government-issued documents. Temporary driver’s licenses will not be accepted.
Travelers presenting non-REAL ID state driver’s licenses or no ID at all will be directed to TSA Confirm.ID prior to entering the security line. TSA said the process may vary by airport, and private industry partners may offer online payment options before travelers arrive.
The agency said more than 94% of passengers already use a REAL ID or another approved credential. However, travelers who choose or need to undergo TSA Confirm.ID should expect delays.
The REAL ID law, enacted more than two decades ago, was fully implemented under the Trump administration, TSA said, noting the enforcement date of May 7, 2025.
TSA recommends that passengers who plan to use the Confirm.ID option pay the fee online before arriving at the airport. Payment information will also be available at marked locations near security checkpoints.
A full list of acceptable identification is available at TSA.gov/travel/security-screening/identification, and REAL ID information can be found at TSA.gov/real-id. Travelers may also contact AskTSA by texting 275-872 or messaging @AskTSA.
