What to know about traveling with Real ID to avoid a $45 fee
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Travelers who don't have the required Real ID will have to pay up to board their flights starting next month.
The big picture: New penalties for those who still don't have Real IDs kick in beginning Feb. 1. Flying without one will set you back an extra $45 — more than double what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) originally estimated.
- That $45 will clear travelers for a 10-day period, after which they would have to pay the fee again.
Driving the news: The TSA "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," the agency said in December.
- "This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer," Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA Adam Stahl said in a press release.
- Travelers can pay the fee at the airport, but the TSA recommends paying for it online beforehand.
By the numbers: About 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 December.
State of play: Passengers 18 years old and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel.
Zoom in: The screening process will take 10 to 30 minutes.
- The fee can be paid online in advance or in person and is valid for 10 days at airline security checkpoints. After that, a traveler must pay again.
- "The security of the traveling public is our top priority," Stahl said, "so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights."
- According to November TSA guidance, "TSA will use the individual's biographic and/or biometric information to verify identity and match the individual to their Secure Flight watch list result."
TSA did not respond to an immediate request for clarification on what happens to travelers who cannot or refuse to pay.
Between the lines: Travelers can still use a passport as a form of ID to fly domestically.
- The full list of acceptable IDs can be found here.
Go deeper: What to know about the new TSA Real ID fee and when it starts
