TSA said it "will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system,"

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Travelers who show up to airport security without the right identification will soon face a new cost to keep their plans on track. A modernized identity-verification system is being rolled out nationwide, and it is designed for passengers who forget, lose or simply do not have a compliant ID when they fly.

TSA says the new identity-verification option, called Confirm.ID, carries a $45 fee and is valid for a 10-day travel period. The system becomes available beginning on Sunday, Feb. 1, and anyone 18 or older who wants to fly without an acceptable ID may be referred to it during check-in. The agency describes the fee as a traveler-funded way to cover the cost of verifying insufficient identification rather than passing those expenses to taxpayers.

In its announcement on Monday, Dec. 1, TSA said it "will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system,"

Acceptable ID options include REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or state photo ID cards, US passports or passport cards, DHS trusted-traveler cards such as Global Entry and NEXUS, military IDs, permanent resident cards, border-crossing documents, federally recognized Tribal Nation photo IDs, foreign passports, Canadian provincial driver’s licenses, TWIC cards, HSPD-12 credentials and several other forms listed on TSA.gov. Temporary driver’s licenses are not accepted.

TSA emphasizes it “strongly urges” travelers who still do not have a REAL ID to upgrade at their local DMV as soon as possible. The agency expects longer wait times for passengers who choose the Confirm.ID option at airports, especially those who pay on site rather than online in advance. TSA says information about payment will be available at marked locations near most checkpoints.

More than ninety-four percent of travelers already use a REAL ID or other acceptable identification, according to TSA, meaning only a small share of flyers are likely to face the new charge once the rule takes effect.

TSA’s full list of acceptable IDs is available at TSA.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.