A while back, we learned how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to add a new fee for those who show up at security checkpoints without an eligible ID. While details were limited at the time, we now know a lot more, and it’ll be more expensive than we initially thought.
In this post:
TSA will start charging to verify traveler identity
In May 2025, we saw the TSA finally start to require passengers to have either a REAL ID or passport to travel by air, a mere 17 years behind schedule. Well, sort of. While that requirement was technically put into place, in reality, it’s still possible to travel without either of those documents, but you’re just subjected to extra identity verification.
On November 20, 2025, the TSA issued a notice, which was published in the Federal Register. With this, travelers without required identification documents will have to pay a fee to have their identity verified, before they can pass through a checkpoint.
Specifically, this new program is expected to be implemented as of February 1, 2026, and will be known as the Modernized Alternative Identity Verification Program. With this, adults aged 18 years or older will have to pay a non-refundable $45 fee to have their identity verified. The idea is that this will use biometric and biographic information to confirm someone’s identity.
Interestingly, the initial document suggested the fee would be $18, so this is quite a bit more expensive than expected. The TSA claims that the purpose of the fee is to fully recover the cost of implementing this program. Furthermore, the TSA hopes that the fee will encourage more travelers to get a REAL ID, as currently 94% of US travelers are coming to an airport with an eligible ID.
How the TSA will verify the identity of travelers
So, how will this program work? The TSA is encouraging those without an eligible ID to complete the verification process and pay the fee online, before even arriving at the airport. Once the process is complete, travelers will be given a receipt that they can give to the TSA agents, as part of the screening process. They’ll then be screened like any other passenger.
If a traveler arrives without an eligible ID or a receipt, they’ll be told to leave the security line, and complete the verification process. There will be QR codes near security checkpoints, so that travelers can complete the process on their own devices. Payments will be processed through pay.gov.
The intent is that the process of verifying identity will take 10-15 minutes, and that it will include a passport lookup option, as well as knowledge based verification questions. Those who choose not to use either option won’t be able to pass through security checkpoints.
My take on the TSA’s new identify verification system
I don’t think the requirement to travel with a REAL ID, passport, or other eligible ID is unreasonable. For those who don’t have one (and even those who just leave their ID at home), the current process of verifying identity is manual, and takes quite a bit of effort.
So it seems fair to pass on that cost to travelers, and perhaps it’ll even act as a further incentive for people to finally make sure they get a REAL ID. For that matter, arguably there’s even a benefit here for those without an ID — they can complete their identity verification before even arriving at the airport, potentially speeding up the process.
Now, the $45 fee does seem rather steep, especially compared to the initially planned $18 fee. That’s particularly the case when you consider that this is seemingly just a basic website that verifies identity, so you wouldn’t think it’s that costly to run.
Either way, I think having some sort of more efficient system for verifying identity of travelers who don’t have an eligible ID is a good idea, so I’d view this as being a positive overall.
Bottom line
As of February 2026, the TSA will add a $45 identity verification fee for those who show up at security without a REAL ID or passport. The idea is that identity verification is currently a manual process, but the TSA is introducing a new system for identity verification, which can even be completed before arriving at the airport.
This new system seems like an improvement to me, as it allows travelers to complete verification in a more consistent way, while freeing up TSA agents at the airport. The $45 cost does seem steep, though…
What do you make of this new TSA identity verification fee?
We don't care. USA isn't the be all and end all.
So the US government trusts a foreign passport issued by a foreign country. However, it does not trust an ID issued by a state government from the US. Well done.
I accidentally posted this as a reply... the hazards of mobile posting...
There is a reason that the TSA claims this is cost recovery, it is *illegal* for the US government to charge more for a service than it costs to deliver it. It is *possible* that the TSA estimated the cost for the federal register filing and then the actual cost came in much higher. That would be unfortunate, but legal. However, given the...
I accidentally posted this as a reply... the hazards of mobile posting...
There is a reason that the TSA claims this is cost recovery, it is *illegal* for the US government to charge more for a service than it costs to deliver it. It is *possible* that the TSA estimated the cost for the federal register filing and then the actual cost came in much higher. That would be unfortunate, but legal. However, given the number of clearly illegal fees that the current administration has put in place (fees higher than cost recovery), I suspect that they may simply see it as source of revenue.
Unfortunately one finds it necessary to repeat the following post as there is a mischief maker putting this website at risk ….
The ease by which a person’s login can be misappropriated by someone with ill intent is disappointing Ben.
One would be best advised to plug your website security gaps before the holes down your flight old bean …. Yes?
Follow. The. Money.
This is all a grift. It’s a handout to a donor. See what compan(ies) get the cut of this. That’s your answer. We live in an era of corruption.
Fly domestic in Australia; they don’t even do an ID check at security; just boarding pass. How can Oz do it better?!
This is correct. We are not fanatically paranoid about security theatre. Across the Tasman in NZ there's not even security screening for domestic flights on aircraft with less than ninety seats. Despite this, the number of successful terrorist attacks on, or hijacks of, commerical aviation remains at zero, where it's been for many decades now. Really makes you think...
Do we know if it’s every single time? One time fee? Once per trip?
This is LONG overdue… now they just need to apply the same thing at land borders for all the US citizens that don’t have a passport and cross multiple times a day every day!
How about actually penalize employers who use undocumented labor? Like, enforce eVerify. Oh, wait, you don’t wanna punish the wealthy who exploit others? Oh… just wanna scapegoat brown people… oh… demagogue says what? Oh…
Oh, I was under the impression that US citizens needed to present a valid United States passport to apply for entry to Canada or Mexico. There are definitely locales where individuals may informally cross the border without document checks, but as I said, it's informal.
Well, reading through the comments, it is very easy for me to identify the IQs of various commenters.
Jennifer, Jay & Sel are the ONLY ones with an IQ below retardation levels. Apologies to anyone else on the right side of history I missed!
For everyone else, the IQs are low....
So....
Far....
LOWWWWWWWW......
IMMEASURABLY LOW!
Yes - thank you JEN FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE NATION! Hearty Appreciations to you. And to you JASON FOR SHARING THIS IMPORTANT ANALYSIS
Jason, please be advised that was not the real AeroB13a, responding to your comment by shouting at you in capital letters.
Please look for the “Diamond” annotation as opposed to the “Guest”.
I disagree that there is a non-zero marginal cost of screening one person w/o zRealID. But, there is a marginal cost of screening many. I submit the goal here is not to get reimbursement fir costs. It is a fine. TSA has to screen numerous who could get (or have, but don't bring) a ReadID. Don't want to go through those extra steps when your renew your license? Want to bring a non-RealID license/ID when...
I disagree that there is a non-zero marginal cost of screening one person w/o zRealID. But, there is a marginal cost of screening many. I submit the goal here is not to get reimbursement fir costs. It is a fine. TSA has to screen numerous who could get (or have, but don't bring) a ReadID. Don't want to go through those extra steps when your renew your license? Want to bring a non-RealID license/ID when your haveca passport? Pay the fine everything you fly. This isn't, I'm speculating, about raising revenues or offsetting costs. It is to encourage people to get/bring a RealID.
I always keep a secondary form or ID back in the hotel just in case. But I understand concerns of a loss ID right before traveling. $45 is a bit high but then so many things today seem to be a grift.
How does the policy apply to underage/ minors who may not have an id or passport?
It only applies to those 18 and older.
There is a reason that the TSA claims this is cost recovery, it is *illegal* for the US government to charge more for a service than it costs to deliver it. It is *possible* that the TSA estimated the cost for the federal register filing and then the actual cost came in much higher. That would be unfortunate, but legal. However, given the number of clearly illegal fees that the current administration has put in...
There is a reason that the TSA claims this is cost recovery, it is *illegal* for the US government to charge more for a service than it costs to deliver it. It is *possible* that the TSA estimated the cost for the federal register filing and then the actual cost came in much higher. That would be unfortunate, but legal. However, given the number of clearly illegal fees that the current administration has put in place (fees higher than cost recovery), I suspect that they may simply see it as source of revenue.
My primary concern is that the system needs to be able to work for someone who had their wallet and phone stolen while traveling. Such people should expect to be able to board their return flight home if they can manage to get to the airport by a reasonable time. I'm fine with the concept of a fee for verification (although increasing the price by 150% before this even launches doesn't inspire confidence) so long...
My primary concern is that the system needs to be able to work for someone who had their wallet and phone stolen while traveling. Such people should expect to be able to board their return flight home if they can manage to get to the airport by a reasonable time. I'm fine with the concept of a fee for verification (although increasing the price by 150% before this even launches doesn't inspire confidence) so long as the traveler can pay it later. As an aside, I'm surprised that the number of travelers showing up without acceptable ID is still as high as 6%. I would have guessed 2%.
wonder if they'll keep capriciously rejecting global entry cards as "fake" real IDs
When have your seen this done or is it an urban legend? I use my GE card all the time at large airports and small ones. I've never had a TSA agent question it or even give it a second look. Trust me, outside of a drivers license with Real ID, passports, GE cards and military IDs are the most accepted alternatives.
You don't think it's unreasonable to undocumented people who need to fly for an emergency?
Or someone who got mugged and lost their phone/cards, and now needs to fly their prebooked ticket back home? How will they pay?
Stop supporting this ridiculous punitive policy. You or someone in your family might get impacted by it also.
Undocumented people should not be in the country.
People who have misplaced their documents or had them stolen may also be considered undocumented.
That's what the $45 is for - to verify that you're "documented" before the flight, even if they've misplaced their "documents" or whatever you mean by that. The Biden administration let people self-identify through the CBP-One app and then use that pseudo "identification" to fly. This administration only wants known people that are here legally to fly.
@Noa the only "emergency" flight an undocumented person needs to take is to a country where they have...
That's what the $45 is for - to verify that you're "documented" before the flight, even if they've misplaced their "documents" or whatever you mean by that. The Biden administration let people self-identify through the CBP-One app and then use that pseudo "identification" to fly. This administration only wants known people that are here legally to fly.
@Noa the only "emergency" flight an undocumented person needs to take is to a country where they have legal residence. The US is even kindly paying for these flights along with a $1,000 stipend to help cover moving expenses, the most generous/kind/humanitarian offer of its kind in history.
Jennifer, zero tolerance extremism isn’t a way to run a society either. Caught speeding? Summary execution. Shoulda followed our laws… /s
It just goes to show this was never about safety.
Will this apply to foreigners or are Passports considered as "real ID"?
Passports are Real ID
If a foreign passport is sufficient ID with which to enter the United States, you can bet your ass it's sufficient ID to board a domestic flight.
It's maybe not unreasonable for you in Florida, Ben, where you can just rock up as a foreign visitor and get a REAL ID with no problem. It's a much bigger problem in states like Washington where the REAL ID is actually an Enhanced Driver's License, and those aren't available even to permanent residents.
Fortunately, green cards are an acceptable form of identification but this is a serious inconvenience for any foreigners who live...
It's maybe not unreasonable for you in Florida, Ben, where you can just rock up as a foreign visitor and get a REAL ID with no problem. It's a much bigger problem in states like Washington where the REAL ID is actually an Enhanced Driver's License, and those aren't available even to permanent residents.
Fortunately, green cards are an acceptable form of identification but this is a serious inconvenience for any foreigners who live in the US and will now have to travel with a passport for domestic flights.
I also wonder which well connected political donor got the no bid contract for this. Seems like nobody's exploring that angle.
Brutal. Orange Man Bad
Interesting. Illegal immigrants will no longer be able to fly?
if they still have a valid passport from their country of origin, then this wouldn't affect them.
I was a little concerned with the original proposal as to how it would work for passengers who had their wallet stolen. I guess those passengers will be okay so long as their phone isn't stolen, too, if the site accepts Apple/Google Pay, PayPal or whatever and the passenger already has that set up.
I think they should charge $450. I mean how many years have we been warned that we were going to have to get Real ID?
Let's make is $4,500,000 and solve the national debt while we're at it!
/s
The cavalier, elite attitude is somewhat ridiculous as if getting a Real ID is easy for everyone.
What’s so difficult about getting it?
Exactly!!!!
About 10 years ago, I thought that a driver's license might be lost and, since it's needed to rent a car, I would show my Global Entry card instead. The TSA ID checker did not know what the card was and called his supervisor. This was at LAX! The supervisor was slow to come so I finally showed my driver's license. I hope the GE card wouldn't have caused a $45 fee even though it is Real ID compliant, just not as common as a driver's license.
A TSA drone not knowing the rules is the least surprising fact ever.
I don't have Real ID since it is painful in my area to go to the DMV. I just use my GE card and have never had a problem (even at smaller airports). I can imagine 10 years ago it wasn't as common but, especially with all the publicity around the 15-20 accepted options beyond a drivers license, I suspect it is rare that a TSA agent doesn't understand a GE card and that it...
I don't have Real ID since it is painful in my area to go to the DMV. I just use my GE card and have never had a problem (even at smaller airports). I can imagine 10 years ago it wasn't as common but, especially with all the publicity around the 15-20 accepted options beyond a drivers license, I suspect it is rare that a TSA agent doesn't understand a GE card and that it is compliant. Now a Native American ID card from a reservation (that is one of the alternatives) may be less accepted.