What to know about the new TSA Real ID fee and when it starts

How it works: Starting Feb. 1, 2026, the new fee will kick in for air travelers.

• Passengers will be required to pay $45 in lieu of having a Real ID to cover an additional biometric screening for security. The screening process will take 10-30 minutes.
• The fee, which can be paid online in advance or in person, is valid for 10 days at airlines security check points. After that a traveler will have to pay again.
• The fee will cover the technology and security software needed. The fee is intended to stay in place, a senior TSA official said, but it will also "be dependent on the compliance rates that we see from the traveling population."
• Travelers can still use a passport as a form of ID to fly domestically, too.

Zoom out: Roughly 6% of travelers can use this fee option. The other 94% are already using compliant IDs, according to figures shared by senior TSA officials in a briefing Monday.

• Without the additional data gathering covered by the new fee, travelers might not make it past security, the official said.
• "If we cannot confirm your identity, you will not be able to get to the security checkpoint, and that is the case today," a senior TSA official said.

Go deeper: Where the most people may need Real IDs to fly