The Transportation Security Administration is moving into full REAL ID enforcement next year. According to the agency’s announcement on the Transportation Security Administration website, starting February 1, 2026, adult travelers who arrive at airport security without a REAL ID-compliant license or another approved form of identification will be required to pay a $45 identity-verification fee before proceeding through screening.
The new TSA Confirm.ID process acts as a backup option for travelers who forget or misplace their ID. After paying the fee, travelers undergo identity verification using federal biographic and biometric data. If confirmed, TSA grants a 10-day travel window, allowing passengers to complete round-trip or multi-leg itineraries without repeating identity checks. These procedures are outlined in the agency’s Confirm.ID rollout on the Transportation Security Administration website.
TSA makes it clear that paying the $45 fee does not guarantee screening or boarding. If a traveler’s identity cannot be verified in federal systems, access to the checkpoint may still be denied. Confirm.ID is intended strictly as an emergency accommodation, not a long-term substitute for compliant identification.
The End of the Grace Period
REAL ID enforcement has been nearly twenty years in the making. The REAL ID Act of 2005, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, established nationwide security standards for state-issued identification. TSA began enforcing REAL ID rules for air travel in May 2025, but treated the initial phase as a transition period.
During that grace period, travelers who arrived with non-compliant IDs often received warnings or had to complete additional screening to fly. No federal fees were applied.
With the launch of Confirm.ID, TSA is ending that transition. The new fee marks the shift into full, standardized enforcement under federal identification guidelines.
What IDs Still Qualify at TSA Checkpoints
A REAL ID-compliant license is one option for travel, but several other forms of acceptable identification remain valid. TSA lists all approved alternatives on its identification page, including documents such as:
• U.S. passports and passport cards
• U.S. military IDs
• DHS Trusted Traveler cards, including Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI
• Permanent resident cards
• Border-crossing cards and certain immigration or tribal documents
These options remain unchanged and provide travelers with multiple compliant pathways through security, as outlined in TSA’s official ID guidelines on the Transportation Security Administration website.
How the $45 Fee Will Affect Travelers
Most passengers will never encounter the $45 charge because they already travel with a REAL ID, passport, or other federally approved document. The fee affects travelers who rely on non-compliant state IDs and do not carry alternative identification.
For those travelers, forgetting a wallet or leaving a driver’s license behind now triggers both a financial consequence and a potential delay. TSA notes that the Confirm.ID process may take additional time, depending on airport volume and verification needs. The fee is non-refundable, and if the system cannot authenticate a traveler’s identity, access to the checkpoint may still be denied.
Why TSA Created Confirm.ID
In its announcement, TSA frames Confirm.ID as part of its broader effort to modernize identity verification and maintain secure screening procedures. The fee supports the operational and technological infrastructure required to access and match federal identity data in real time.
The agency emphasizes that Confirm.ID is a last-resort measure. The most reliable path through security remains a REAL ID-compliant license or another approved federal document.
What Travelers Should Do Before 2026
For frequent flyers or anyone who wants to avoid unexpected expenses, TSA’s guidance is straightforward:
• Update to a REAL ID–ID-compliant license if you plan to use a state ID for travel.
• Carry a passport or other approved ID if you prefer not to update your license.
Confirm.ID is meant for emergencies, not routine travel. Beginning February 2026, arriving unprepared means accepting a new fee, undergoing a slower verification process, and facing the possibility of being denied screening if verification fails.
REAL ID is no longer a distant requirement. It is an active condition of domestic air travel, and TSA’s new $45 fee reinforces that responsibility rests with the traveler.
