WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) soon will give air travelers without REAL ID-compliant forms of identification the option to pay a fee under a new identity verification system called TSA Confirm.ID. Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, air passengers who cannot present the REAL ID verification at TSA security checkpoints can choose to pay a $45 fee to verify their identity.
The fee-based option will allow travelers without REAL ID–compliant identification to still fly after undergoing an alternative verification process. According to the TSA announcement, the $45 payment will cover a 10-day travel period while urging travelers to update their IDs at their local DMV as soon as possible.
Acceptable forms of ID include REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses, state-issued enhanced IDs, U.S. passports, DHS trusted traveler cards, military IDs, permanent resident cards, tribal IDs, foreign passports, Transportation Worker Identification Credentials, and several other federally approved documents. Temporary driver’s licenses will not be accepted.
All passengers who present a non-REAL ID-compliant license or no ID at all will be referred to the optional Confirm.ID process before entering the security line. TSA says the process will vary by airport, and it is working with private industry to offer online payment options in advance.
According to the TSA, more than 94 percent of passengers already present an acceptable ID.
“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,” says 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.”
TSA advises travelers without REAL ID to pay the Confirm.ID fee online before heading to the airport. Those who have not paid in advance will receive instructions at designated areas near the security checkpoint. Passengers who use the system at the airport should expect delays.
A full list of acceptable identification is available at TSA.gov, along with additional REAL ID guidance.
