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2w ago

TSA Sets $45 Fee for Travelers Without Acceptable ID Starting Feb. 1, 2026

The charge funds TSA’s Confirm.ID system to shift identity‑verification costs from taxpayers to the travelers who use it.

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Left: TSA (Transportation Security Administration) worker checks out passport at the BWI airport. Right: Hand holding U.S. passport. Text overlay reads, "So the Real ID has nothing to do with security. “Legal for a price” is nothing more than extortion."

Overview

  • The fee applies to adults who arrive without a REAL ID or other acceptable identification and choose the alternative verification to fly, with children exempt.
  • TSA Confirm.ID grants a 10-day verification once approved, but approval is not guaranteed and processing can take 30 minutes or longer.
  • Procedures will differ by airport, and TSA says an online prepayment option is in development for use before reaching the checkpoint.
  • Acceptable IDs that avoid the fee include REAL ID-compliant or enhanced licenses, U.S. passports or passport cards, permanent resident or border crossing cards, Enhanced Tribal Cards, Veteran Health Identification Cards, and DHS trusted-traveler cards.
  • The agency raised the charge from a $18 proposal in November and says over 94% of travelers already present acceptable ID, calling the fee a cost-recovery measure.