No REAL ID? TSA’s New $45 Fee Could Hit You at the Airport

In our household there are five people, but only two of them have an Illinois REAL ID. Maybe it's lack of motivation on the part of the three who don't have one, but I'm thinking that the latest announcement by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should change that very soon.

If you’ve been putting off getting a REAL ID, the TSA has a new incentive for you to stop your procrastinating, and that incentive hits you right in the wallet.

Starting February 1st, the Transportation Security Administration will begin charging a $45 fee to travelers who show up at the airport without a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification, but still want to board their flight and go someplace.

You won't automatically be turned away at the checkpoint for not having a REAL ID. Instead, TSA will offer an alternative identity verification process called TSA ConfirmID. It’s essentially a more involved way for officers to confirm who you are. The catch is that if you choose that option, you’ll pay the $45 fee, and that fee is non-refundable.

Some Are Complaining About A $45 Fee For Not Having REAL ID Or A Passport

TSA officials say the fee helps cover the extra time, staffing, and resources required for additional screening, rather than passing that cost along to everyone else. According to their website, most travelers already have compliant IDs, and this is meant to be a backup option, not the norm.

So what counts as “acceptable” ID? A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID works just fine, as does a U.S. passport or passport card, a military ID, or certain DHS trusted traveler cards like Global Entry. If you’ve got one of those in your wallet, you won’t owe anything extra.

If you don’t, be prepared for longer screening times.

This isn’t a shortcut through security, and TSA says travelers using ConfirmID should expect extra steps and potential delays. It's also worth noting that the $45 fee covers a 10-day travel window, so if your return flight is within that time frame, you won’t have to pay again.