Air Travel and Identification

Starting Feb. 1, 2026, TSA will charge travelers who don’t present a REAL ID or another accepted credential (such as a passport, passport card, DoD ID, DHS trusted traveler cards, enhanced driver’s licenses, permanent resident or border‑crossing cards) a $45 Confirm.ID fee to verify identity via knowledge‑based questions and issue a 10‑day verification receipt. The nonrefundable fee — which TSA had earlier proposed at $18 but raised to $45 — can be paid online in advance through private vendors or at the airport, may take 10–30+ minutes to complete, can lengthen checkpoint waits, and does not guarantee boarding if verification fails.