If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Beginning February 1, 2026, travelers flying within the United States without a REAL ID or another accepted form of identification will face a new $45 charge. The Transportation Security Administration’s newly finalized ConfirmID system creates a process where passengers who cannot show proper ID must pay to verify their identity before passing through security. Feature: A $45 Fee and Three Ways to Lose Your Privacy Before You Fly The agency has presented the program as a backup option for those who forget their identification, but in effect, it attaches a price to the right to travel and requires travelers to surrender personal data in order to continue their journey. According to the Federal Register, the ConfirmID fee applies per individual and is valid for ten days. The payment covers both outbound and return flights within that window if the traveler completes TSA’s verification steps. Passengers can pay online in advance or at the checkpoint, but TSA advises arriving early since the process can take 30 minutes or more. TSA emphasizes that the $45 charge does not guarantee success. “Registering for the TSA Confirm.ID program and payment of the non-refundable fee does not guarantee that an individual’s identity will be verified,” the agency stated. Even with a receipt, travelers may still be turned away if TSA cannot confirm who they are. The agency says the fee reflects updated cost projections and expected participation levels. It also plans to release additional information online, but its public ConfirmID page already lists February 1, 2026, as the effective date. The Identity Project (IDP), which defends the right to travel without constant identification demands, has condemned ConfirmID as “flagrantly illegal.” The group also said, “even the payment platform for the $45 fee is in flagrant violation of multiple Federal laws.” IDP argues that TSA launched the program without filing the required Privacy Act notice, without securing approval from the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act, and without disclosing where the personal or biometric information will be stored. Operating such a system without public notice, the group notes, is a criminal violation of the Privacy Act. The Pay.gov payment page used for ConfirmID also lacks the mandatory OMB control number. Federal policy states that agencies cannot collect information from the public without displaying this number and without including a clear notice about data handling and time burden. The Treasury Department, which manages Pay.gov, explicitly says that any form missing a valid OMB control number can be ignored. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post TSA’s $45 ConfirmID Fee Ties Air Travel Access to Paid Identity Verification appeared first on Reclaim The Net.