Starting February 1, 2026, travelers without a Real ID will have to pay a $45 fee to fly domestically, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Monday. The fee, more than double the amount previously discussed, will cover an additional biometric screening at airport security and is expected to take 10 to 30 minutes per passenger.
The charge can be paid online in advance or in person and is valid for 10 days at airline security checkpoints. After that period, travelers will need to pay again. TSA officials said the fee will support the technology and security software required for identity verification and will remain in place depending on compliance rates among travelers. Passengers can also continue using a passport as a valid form of identification for domestic flights. Currently, about 6% of travelers would need to use this option, while the remaining 94% already have compliant IDs. TSA emphasized that without the additional identity verification provided by the fee, travelers may be denied access to security checkpoints.