TSA to Start Charging $18 If You Forget Your REAL ID
Show up at airport security without a REAL ID or valid passport? That could cost you $18 soon.
The Transportation Security Administration proposed a new fee for travelers who arrive at security checkpoints without proper identification. The non-refundable $18 would cover costs of a "modernized alternative identity verification program" using biometric kiosks, according to a notice published November 20.
No set date yet for when this starts. Just a heads-up that it's coming.
"This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary Noem as of May 2025," TSA told USA TODAY.
Twenty years. REAL ID became law in 2005 and finally went into effect May 7, 2025. Two decades to implement a requirement that everyone needs proper ID to fly.
How It Works
Air passengers over 18 without acceptable ID will pay the $18 fee to participate in alternative verification. Biometric technology and biographical information will verify their identity and grant airport access for 10 days.
But entry isn't guaranteed. They may face "additional screening or experience delays," TSA's notice stated. So you pay $18 for the privilege of maybe getting through security if they decide your biometric data checks out.
The new system would replace the current option, which TSA called "time and resource intensive." Translation: TSA agents spend too much time dealing with people who showed up without proper ID.
The REAL ID Transition
REAL ID's May 7 deadline caused people to scramble to DMVs updating their licenses. But the transition went smoothly overall without major delays, USA TODAY previously reported.
Turns out most people managed to get their ducks in a row before the deadline. Or they used passports. Either way, airports didn't descend into chaos like some predicted.
Now TSA wants to charge people who still haven't gotten the memo. Fair? Depends on your perspective. On one hand, they've had 20 years. On the other hand, charging $18 to verify someone's identity using technology seems like something TSA should just do as part of their job.
What ID Works
Here are acceptable forms of ID, according to TSA:
REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or state photo ID cards from the DMV
State-issued Enhanced Driver's License or Enhanced ID
U.S. passport or passport card
Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards like Global Entry
U.S. Department of Defense ID
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
Photo ID from a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
Foreign government-issued passport card
Basically, get a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or carry your passport. Those are the two easiest options for most people.
The Bigger Picture
TSA is working with "stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints," they said. "Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days."
So more details coming soon about when this fee actually kicks in and how the biometric verification process works.
For now, just know that showing up without proper ID might start costing you $18 on top of whatever hassle you already face trying to get through security without acceptable identification.
The fee is non-refundable. So if you pay $18 and TSA decides they can't verify your identity through their fancy biometric system, you're out the money and probably missing your flight.
What You Should Do
Get a REAL ID-compliant license if you don't have one yet. Or keep your passport handy when traveling. Problem solved, no $18 fee.
If you're not sure whether your license is REAL ID-compliant, check for a star in the upper right corner. That's the marker. No star? Time to visit the DMV.
Passports work too if you've got one. Easier than dealing with DMV lines in some states.
The point is, TSA gave everyone 20 years to prepare for this. Now they're proposing to charge people who still haven't gotten proper ID. Whether that's reasonable enforcement or nickel-and-diming travelers is up for debate.
Either way, the fee is coming. TSA published the notice. More guidance will follow soon. And at some point in the near future, forgetting your REAL ID could cost you $18 plus whatever delays and additional screening come with it.
Your move. Get the ID or pay the fee.
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