Travelers without a REAL ID-compliant drivers license or another acceptable form of identification will soon face a $45 fee to pass through airport security checkpoints.

The Transportation Security Administration says that starting February 1, 2026, passengers who cannot present a valid ID can opt to use an alternative identity verification system, known as Confirm ID, for a fee.

Travelers who fail to pay the fee or who cannot be verified may be denied access to the security checkpoint and miss their flight. This includes passengers who have lost their ID or had it stolen.

“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA, Adam Stahl, said in a statement. “The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are.”

The new measure is an update to the REAL ID Act, which has been in the works since 2005 and requires travelers 18 and older to present a REAL ID or another federally recognized ID, like a passport, for domestic flights.

The $45 fee is intended to cover the operational, technological, and administrative costs of the Confirm ID system. Senior TSA officials stated that the fee ensures that taxpayers do not fund the verification process for non-compliant travelers. Initially, the agency proposed an $18 fee in a November 20 notice, but officials said a subsequent analysis revealed higher-than-projected expenses for the system.

“The fee was necessary because we needed to modernize the system,” the TSA’s deputy executive assistant administrator for security operations, Steve Lorincz, told ABC News. “We needed to make sure that the system is safe.”

Travelers can pay the fee online through the official U.S. Federal Government payment portal, pay.gov, either before arriving at the airport or once they are there. Once the fee is paid and the passenger’s identity is verified, the clearance will be valid for 10 days. After this period, another fee will be required for subsequent travel without a valid ID.

The verification process is expected to take between 10 to 15 minutes, but the TSA warns it could extend to 30 minutes or more depending on wait times and individual verification needs. 

Despite the new system, officials strongly encourage travelers to obtain a REAL ID to avoid the fee and potential delays. Currently, about 94 percent of travelers use a REAL ID or another approved form of identification, such as a passport or an approved mobile/digital ID from providers like Apple and Google.