In a move that has sparked widespread criticism, American travelers will soon face a new fee if they lack the proper identification at airports. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) revealed on Monday that starting February 1, travelers who do not present a REAL ID or passport at airport checkpoints will incur a $45 fee. Additionally, these individuals will need to verify their identity using a biometric or biographic system.

This announcement is part of the TSA’s ongoing implementation of the REAL ID program, which officially began in May, despite being enacted into law in 2005. The program mandates that Americans obtain state-issued driver’s licenses, learner’s permits, or non-driver IDs that meet federal standards to clear airport security. The goal, officials say, is to bolster security and standardize identification across states. Until now, travelers without a REAL ID or compliant documentation faced no penalties and could travel after undergoing additional screening.

In a bid to change this, the TSA took action last month. “The current alternative identity verification process is both time-consuming and resource-intensive, limiting how many travelers we can assist,” the agency explained in a Federal Register notice. “By imposing a fee for the updated alternative identity verification program, we ensure that those who use the service contribute to its costs,” the statement continued. Initially, the TSA suggested an $18 fee, but further analysis revealed that the costs associated with the Confirm ID system were higher than initially anticipated, leading to the revised fee.

‘The fee was necessary because we need to modernize the system,’ Steve Lorinez, TSA’s deputy executive assistant administrator for security operations, told ABC News . ‘We needed to make sure that the systems are safe.’ TSA noted that the $45 fee will cover the administrative and IT costs associated with the biometric verification program and ensure that the expense is covered by the traveler and not the taxpayers. A senior TSA official, though, told Fox News that the fee is nonrefundable and is not guaranteed.

Once the new program goes into effect in February, those without a REAL ID or passport can visit TSA.gov and follow the instructions listed to verify their identity and pay the fees. After that, they will receive an email confirmation to show a TSA officer before they pass through the checkpoint. The whole process should take between 10 to 15 minutes, but could take as much as half an hour or even longer, the TSA warns. Those that get in line at the airport without an acceptable form of ID, meanwhile, will be sent out of the line to complete the process before they proceed.

Those with a stolen or lost REAL ID or passport will also be required to complete the process. But even then, the TSA says there is no guarantee that individuals will be cleared through the checkpoint. ‘We still need to go through the process to make sure that we verify who you are,’ Lorinez said. ‘And for whatever reason, if we can’t do that, then you can’t go through the process.’ For those that are verified, their $45 fee will cover access through TSA checkpoints for up to 10 days. After that, if the individual travels without a REAL ID or passport again, they will have to pay another $45.

‘Identity verification is essential to traveler safety because it keeps terrorists, criminals and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems,’ Adam Stahl, of the TSA, told Fox News. But many online were left outraged by the news, with one podcaster asking: ‘Is it really about safety on the airlines or just another money grab by the government?’ Another X user echoed that sentiment, writing: ‘If it was about security, they wouldn’t let anyone on their flight without a RealID since that is the premise of getting one. ‘Now we know it’s just another revenue stream for this administration.’

A third likened the new fee to a tax. ‘Either the TSA is a government agency and has no business determining which government ID we use OR the TSA is a government entity and has violated the law by instituting a tax without Congressional approval. ‘Either way this is BS,’ she wrote. Meanwhile, a fourth X user just quipped that it is ‘harder to get on a flight than it is to vote.’ Still, TSA officials say 94 percent of travelers show up to the airport with an acceptable form of identification, and senior officials said they are working with airlines to help promote the effort when travelers book a ticket.