Beginning Sunday (February 1), U.S. air travelers who do not have a REAL ID, passport, or another accepted form of identification will need to pay a new $45 fee to board a commercial flight, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) launches its ConfirmID verification system. This change affects travelers 18 and older who lack a compliant ID at airport security checkpoints nationwide.
The fee is required to use the online TSA ConfirmID option, which attempts to verify a traveler’s identity. However, paying the fee does not guarantee approval to board, and the process can take up to 30 minutes. Travelers can pay the fee online before arriving at the airport, or on-site, but the TSA recommends completing the process in advance to avoid delays that may result in missed flights.
The TSA states that REAL ID-compliant cards are marked with a star in the upper corner. Acceptable alternatives include a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards (such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST), state-issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses, and certain military IDs. Children under 18 traveling within the United States are not required to provide identification, though airlines may have their own policies.
The $45 ConfirmID fee is valid for a 10-day travel period. If a round trip lasts longer than 10 days, travelers may need to pay the fee again for their return flight. The TSA estimates that approximately six percent of travelers currently lack a REAL ID or acceptable alternative, and expects the ConfirmID program to be used about 10.6 million times over the next five years. The agency projects the new fee will generate nearly $476 million, helping cover administrative costs.
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 to improve security standards for state-issued identification cards following the September 11 attacks. The federal government began enforcing the requirement to show a REAL ID or other approved document for domestic flights on May 7, 2025.
Travel experts and consumer advocates, like John Breyault from the National Consumers League, say the fee is intended to encourage compliance with the REAL ID rules, but caution that it could be burdensome for low- to moderate-income travelers and families with adult children.
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