TSA to charge non-compliant travelers starting Feb. 1

Travelers beware: Starting February 1, you may be charged a fee of $45 or more to pass through airport security checkpoints without a Real ID or other acceptable travel document.

“This is nothing,” John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud for the National Consumers Union, a consumer advocacy group, said of the fee. “If you need a reason to get a Real ID-compatible ID, now is the time.”

Real ID The card is an upgraded driver’s license or state identification card that officials say carries tighter security and helps prevent fraudulent identification. It is issued by the government and is marked with an asterisk.

Starting May 7, 2025, the federal government began requiring travelers to have a Real ID (or another document, such as a U.S. passport or passport card) to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities or nuclear power plants.

However, February 1 marked the first time the Transportation Security Administration would impose a fee to enforce the rule.

Travelers aged 18 and over acceptable travel document To fly, he will need to pay $45 to use an optional alternative authentication system called TSA ConfirmID.

About 6% of travelers I don’t have When the TSA announced the fee in December, it said a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification was required.

“This is really an enforcement mechanism,” said NerdWallet travel expert Sally French. “This is a real penalty for travelers who arrive unprepared.”

Verification in the ConfirmID system Valid for a 10-day travel periodAccording to TSA.

Going through a TSA checkpoint outside of that 10-day period will require paying the TSA ConfirmID fee again, an agency spokesperson said in an email. In this scenario, a passenger taking a longer trip might pay a total of $90.

“If you go to Honolulu for two weeks, you may have to pay on the way back,” Breyault said. “If it wasn’t bad enough to be pennied by the airlines, now you’re being penalized by the TSA.”

They can visit tsa.gov/ConfirmIDThey then show the pay.gov receipts (a printout or screenshot) and any government-issued ID to the airport TSA officer, the agency said.

Travelers can also pay the fee on the spot. However, TSA recommends travelers pay the fee online before travel. TSA said failure to do so could result in delays and missed flights.

According to the TSA, “Since the process can take up to 30 minutes, it is important for airline passengers to plan ahead to ensure they have acceptable identification to avoid these additional delays.”

Congress passed Real ID Act The law established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Breyault said he understands why the government chose to impose a fee: It’s a good way to motivate people to comply with the Real ID requirement, he said.

But the burden will fall heaviest on low- and middle-income travelers and families with older children, he said. A family of four, for example, might pay more than $200 to fly, assuming the children are at least 18 and the trip is longer, Breyault said.

TSA does not require children under 18 to show identification when traveling within the United States. traveling alonethe agency said. Each airline makes its own adjustments Identity requirementsAccording to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Breyault’s advice to consumers: “Be sure to take a Real ID compatible ID with you well before your trip. [department of motor vehicles]If you don’t have one, make sure you have another acceptable form of identification.”

Real ID costs vary by state. In New Jersey, this costs For example, $35 to get a Real ID.

TSA estimates that travelers will use the ConfirmID program approximately 10.6 million times over the next five years.

The agency said the $45 fee would generate about $476 million in revenue, which is meant to offset administrative costs during that period. Report published on December 2.

Senior official Adam Stahl, TSA deputy administrator, said: latest press release He said the fee would ensure that “non-compliant passengers, not taxpayers, will cover the processing costs of passengers without acceptable identification.”

One 13 November reportTSA initially estimated that travelers would have to pay a fee of $18 (less than half the final fare) to cover administrative costs.

Asked to comment on the fees, a TSA spokesperson did not specify why the estimate changed over the course of several weeks.

TSA plans to re-evaluate its fee structure every two years “to account for evolving conditions and compliance rates,” the spokesperson said in an email.