TSA will charge $45 at the airport next year if you don't have a REAL ID

WASHINGTON — Starting next year, you may have to pay a hefty fine to get through airport security if your ID isn't up to date.

Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, airline passengers who arrive at airport security without a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification will have to pay a $45 fee if they still want to fly, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday.

The fee will grant travelers 10 days of access to TSA security checkpoints through a new identity-verification system called TSA Confirm.ID, which uses facial recognition technology to authenticate a traveler’s identity.

Under the new policy, any traveler who shows up without a compliant ID — including those who present state driver’s licenses that do not meet REAL ID standards — will be directed to the optional C