Starting February 1, 2026, travelers who do not possess a Real ID or another TSA-approved identification may be required to pay a $45 fee at airport security checkpoints, reports Baltimore Chronicle
via bitbetnews.com. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that this fee will cover the cost of additional identity verification procedures for passengers who cannot present compliant identification, ensuring that airports maintain secure operations.
Under the updated TSA guidelines, individuals without a Real ID or passport will have their identities verified directly at security checkpoints. The $45 charge, which was initially proposed as an $18 fee in November 2025, reflects the administration’s adjustment to cover the resources and labor associated with these identity checks. Paying this fee through TSA’s online portal, TSA ConfirmID, allows travelers to obtain a receipt that can be presented at security. The receipt provides permission to proceed through checkpoints with non-compliant documents for up to ten days from the payment date, if the passenger travels again within that period.
Passengers should note that paying the fee does not guarantee that TSA will successfully verify their identity, nor does it ensure boarding approval. TSA ConfirmID is designed to streamline the process, but security personnel retain the authority to deny access if verification fails.
Since July 2025, TSA has implemented several security adjustments, including allowing travelers to keep their shoes on during screening and restricting certain items such as specific cordless hair tools and external batteries from checked baggage. These changes are part of the agency’s broader effort to improve efficiency while maintaining safety.
For those seeking to avoid the $45 fee, travelers can present other forms of acceptable identification, such as U.S. passports, U.S. passport cards, state-issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDL) or Enhanced IDs (EID), foreign passports, permanent resident cards, or border crossing cards. Temporary driver’s licenses remain invalid for domestic air travel. In Ohio, new Real IDs are issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within 10 business days of application, and passengers are advised to contact the BMV if the card does not arrive within 28 days.
Earlier we wrote that Mortgage Rates Drop to 6% as Homebuyers Weigh Costs and Economic Uncertainty.
