Haven’t Obtained a REAL ID? You Can Still Fly, But Expect a $45 Fee Without Alternative Identification

The small star on your U.S. driver’s license could soon save you $45.

Starting Sunday, U.S. air travelers who lack a REAL ID or an alternative accepted form of identification, such as a passport, will encounter a new fee.

This fee isn’t a penalty or a fine; it’s a charge for travelers without compliant ID to use the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) new identity verification process called ConfirmID. However, this method takes additional time, and paying the fee doesn’t ensure you’ll catch your flight.

The Department of Homeland Security reports that most U.S. travelers have already complied with the REAL ID requirements. The fee aims to motivate those without the star-marked REAL ID to get one.

Nonetheless, this new fee may surprise some passengers, so here’s a detailed explanation:

What is a REAL ID?

It is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Obtaining the ID means taking more documents to the motor vehicle agency than most states require for regular IDs. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008, but the implementation was repeatedly delayed.

The updated ID is indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in most U.S. states. It has been required since May, but travelers without it – and without another TSA-accepted ID – were still allowed through security with extra screening and a warning. That changes Sunday.

Who has to pay?

Travelers 18 and older flying domestically without proper identification on them will have to pay $45 to verify their identity at the airport through the ConfirmID process. If approved, the verification covers a 10-day travel period.

Paying the fee, however, does not guarantee access to U.S. air travel, and passengers whose identities cannot be verified may be turned away at airport security.

“This fee ensures that non-compliant travelers, not taxpayers, cover the cost of processing travelers without acceptable IDs,” said Adam Stahl, acting TSA deputy administrator.

How it works

The service fee is paid online at tsa.gov/ConfirmID. Travelers will have to enter their legal name and the start date of their travel. Accepted payment methods include debit and credit cards, Venmo and PayPal.

Someone other than the traveler can make the payment, according to TSA, but the traveler’s information must be entered correctly.

Passengers will then receive an emailed payment receipt from pay.gov.

At the airport checkpoint, show a government-issued ID and a digital or printed copy of the receipt to begin the verification process.

TSA recommends that travelers pay the fee before arriving at the airport to save on time, as the verification process alone could take up to 30 minutes.

Other accepted forms of ID

TSA accepts digital IDs through platforms such as Apple Wallet and Google Wallet at more than 250 airport checkpoints in the U.S.

The agency has a full list of acceptable IDs on its website. They include:

– Passport or passport card

– Permanent resident cards

– Trusted traveler cards, such as Global Entry or NEXUS

– Military IDs

– Photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations