The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that U.S. air travelers without a Real ID-compliant form of identification will be required to pay a $45 fee to fly from U.S. airports. “The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that 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, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026,” the TSA stated. Traveling and don’t have a REAL ID or another acceptable form of ID? You’ll want to get yours soon. Starting on Feb. 1, 2026, travelers may pay a $45 fee to verify their identity through TSA Confirm. ID. Learn more: https://t.co/8RMsLuqyB7 pic.twitter.com/9ExDjh5GFS — TSA (@TSA) December 1, 2025 More from The New York Times: Travelers will be able to pay the fee, valid for a 10-day period, before they arrive at the airport. Details about online payment or what screening is entailed in this alternative identity verification process, called T.S.A. Confirm.ID, were not yet available. In May, after years of delay, the government began requiring Real IDs, which are federally compliant state-issued driver’s licenses, learner’s permits or nondriver IDs, at airports. Other identity documents, including passports and permanent resident cards, are also considered Real ID compliant. Government officials said that the change was meant to enhance security and create a consistent standard for state-issued documentation. But the authorities did not impose any penalties for not having a Real ID, and people flying without Real ID-compliant documents were allowed to travel with additional screening, which, according to the T.S.A. website, included collecting current addresses. TSA listed “acceptable forms of ID”: REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state Department of Motor Vehicles. A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification. State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID) U.S. passport U.S. passport card DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST) U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents Permanent resident card Border crossing card An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs) HSPD-12 PIV card Foreign government-issued passport Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766) U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) “All travelers without an acceptable ID, including those who present a non-REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID, will be referred to the optional TSA Confirm.ID process for identity verification upon TSA check-in and prior to entering the security line,” TSA said. “This process will differ airport to airport, and TSA is working with private industry to proactively offer online payment options prior to arrival at the airport,” it continued. “Passport or passport card still work without the goofy fine,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) commented. Passport or passport card still work without the goofy fine. This article has a list of IDs that won’t result in a fine.https://t.co/0hBZtNjUVg — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 2, 2025 NPR noted: The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear security with additional screening and a warning. The Department of Homeland Security says 94% of passengers are already compliant and that the new fee is intended to encourage travelers to obtain the ID. REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Obtaining the ID — indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in most states — means taking more documents to the motor vehicle agency than most states require for regular IDs. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed. NewsNation provided additional coverage: