TSA to charge fee to fly without Real ID. What you need to do before traveling

If you still don't have Real ID , you'll be able to fly, but you'll have to pay extra before you can board the plane.

The Transportation Security Administration will soon charge airport travelers without Real ID a $45 fee to use TSA Confirm.ID, an alternative identity verification system, TSA announced in a Dec. 1 news release.

The move is necessary to ensure national security at U.S. airports and other transit hubs, TSA said in the release.

“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail," said Adam Stahl, senior official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA.

The TSA Confirm.ID $45 fee begin Feb. 1, 2026.

In November, TSA had