If you still haven’t gotten a Real ID, but plan to fly in the near future, you’ll be faced with a hefty $45 fee.
The Transportation Security Administration began charging a fee Feb. 1 for travelers who arrive at airport security without a valid Real ID, such as an enhanced driver’s license or a passport. States started issuing Real ID-compliant licenses in 2016, but enforcement of the new requirements didn’t begin until May 2025.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
That’s when Real IDs first became mandatory at airports in the US, although the TSA still offers alternative ways to verify a traveler’s identity using additional security measures. The new $45 fee is intended to cover that extra work.
“This modernized, technology-enabled program will provide additional methods of alternative identity verification beyond what TSA currently provides and reduce the time required to verify identities using the existing method,” the TSA’s administration said in the proposal. “The current alternative identity verification process is time- and resource-intensive, limiting the number of individuals for whom TSA can provide the service.”
“TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints,” a representative for TSA told CNET. “Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
How the fee would work
According to the proposal, TSA would not refund the $45 fee if someone fails the security check and doesn’t make it through after paying.
However, if successful, the traveler would be able to continue traveling for 10 days without a Real ID using a biometric kiosk, without having to pay the fee repeatedly.
Tech companies, including Apple, have been working to offer solutions to make mobile IDs easier. The company has recently added a feature that allows people to add a passport to Apple Wallet. Some states are also offering options to use your phone as ya substitute for your driver’s license.
It’s unlikely that the TSA would implement the fee before the holiday travel season this year. Ensuring you have a Real ID-friendly form of identification is a good idea if you have air travel in your future, regardless of the associated fee.
Read the full article here
