The fee grants passengers access to the Confirm.ID system for a 10-day travel period
Air travellers arriving at US airport security checkpoints without a valid, acceptable form of identification, including a federally mandated REAL ID-compliant credential, will soon be required to pay a new $45 fee to verify their identity through a revamped screening system.
The change, which takes effect on February 1, 2026, formalises a paid alternative identity verification process, dubbed TSA Confirm.ID, for passengers who fail to present the necessary documents.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the move, which follows a November 19 notice in the Federal Register unveiling the new Modernized Alternative Identity Verification program. Initially priced at an $18 fee, the cost has been set at $45, intended to shift the financial burden of identity checks from taxpayers to the individual travellers who use the system.
The fee grants passengers access to the Confirm.ID system for a 10-day travel period, covering round-trip or multi-segment itineraries without requiring additional payments.
TSA officials, however, stressed that the new system is designed as a “last resort measure” and is expected to cause delays at security checkpoints.
“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,” said Adam Stahl, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA.
He added, “Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies…”
Confirm.ID is described by the TSA as a technology-enabled replacement for older, labour-intensive manual verification procedures, which often relied on call center checks.
The new process leverages “biographic and/or biometric information” collected from the traveler to confirm their identity and cross-match them against the TSA’s watchlist or Secure Flight prescreening data.
The agency argues the $45 fee is necessary to cover the “initial development and deployment” costs, which include software, IT infrastructure, data security, administrative overhead, and ongoing operations.
Crucially, all passengers who fail to present an acceptable ID including those carrying an outdated, non-REAL ID compliant driver’s license will be routed to the Confirm.ID process before they can enter the security line.
The TSA is urging passengers who do not have a REAL ID to schedule an appointment with their state DMV immediately. The agency noted that REAL ID requirements, initially mandated two decades ago, were only fully enforced at airport checkpoints starting on May 7, under President Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
While the agency estimates that over 94 per cent of passengers now fly with acceptable ID, the message to the remaining minority is clear: expect trouble.
The TSA warned that passengers depending on the Confirm.ID option should expect longer wait times, which will vary by airport. Furthermore, identity verification is not guaranteed. If a traveller’s identity cannot be validated through the system, they may be denied access to the secure area and prevented from boarding their flight.
