SPRINGFIELD, VA — (BrooklandNews.com) — Dec. 2, 2025 — Flyers flying without their Real-ID or passport will be charged starting February 1, 2026.
Beginning February 1, 2026, passengers who fail to present a valid form of identification and still wish to fly will have the option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system called TSA Confirm.ID. This system will be used to establish identity at security checkpoints.
The initiative comes after they began requiring passengers to have a Real ID or a passport to fly starting in May 2025.
If you’re required to pay the fine, it is valid for a 10-day travel period, allowing you to use identification that’s not accepted for 10 days.
A release by TSA said, “Currently, more than 94% of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms of identification. TSA expects increased wait times for passengers who do not provide an acceptable ID.”
“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said a senior official performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA Adam Stahl. “The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are.”
Acceptable IDs can be found by clicking here.