You’ll Now Pay $45 To Fly in the U.S. if You Don’t Have a REAL ID

It’s been a long and winding road for REAL ID. The policy became law all the way back in 2005, and it finally became a requirement to fly in May of this year.

Although REAL ID is now required to fly, it’s still possible to fly without it (or a passport), but this requires additional verification.

Recently, the TSA issued a notice outlining a process for individuals who don’t have a REAL ID or a passport to clear security checkpoints. At the time, the proposed fee was $18; now, the agency has decided the work required to verify your identity without proper documents merits a $45 fee.

Here’s what you need to know about this new fee that will take effect today, February 1, 2026.

TSA Outlines New Process for Flying Without a REAL ID

Despite the requirement to fly with a REAL ID, passengers have still been able to fly without one, although it requires several extra steps for identity verification.

Now, the TSA has implemented a policy that requires passengers without a REAL ID or a valid passport to pay a $45 fee to have their identity verified through a new system that utilizes a passenger’s biometric information to verify their identity and check it against the Secure Flight watch list. This is in effect as of February 1, 2026.

Passengers who know they’ll have to pay this fee will be able to pay in advance at Pay.gov before arriving at the airport. Additionally, the TSA plans to add an option for these payments at TSA.gov.

The TSA’s notice says that its “modernized, technology-enabled program will provide additional methods of alternative identity verification beyond what TSA currently provides and reduce the time required to verify identities using the existing methods.”

When this idea was first raised, the idea of an $18 fee didn’t have an implementation date. Along with providing a confirmed implementation date, the fee jumped up to $45 when details were finalized.

This fee pays for the technology, time, and effort required to verify the identity of passengers who don’t have a REAL ID — or who forgot it at home when they left for the airport. The TSA says that the $45 fee will cover the use of the new system for 10 days, meaning you wouldn’t have to pay again for your flight home, assuming you’re traveling back within 10 days.

However, passengers will have to pay again for subsequent trips beyond the 10-day timeframe.

Final Thoughts

Since REAL ID became a requirement for flying, there have been ways around it, but it has required a significant amount of extra work on the part of the TSA. A new policy streamlines that process in exchange for an $45 fee, valid for 10 days.

This seems like a reasonable compromise, as it accounts for the extra efforts required to verify the identity of those who aren’t REAL ID compliant — and it might spur those who don’t yet have a REAL ID to go get one, as the cost for this is cheaper than paying $45 every time you fly.