Don't have a Real ID yet? Or one of several alternatives? The TSA could charge you nearly $20 in exchange to let you keep flying.
After nearly two decades of delays, Real ID requirements for domestic flights finally began in May, though the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) isn't turning away travelers without a compliant license just yet. But the federal government is now proposing new rules that would fine flyers without proper identification instead.
The TSA filed that notice on Thursday, proposing an $18 fine for travelers without a Real ID or a passport in order to cover the cost of additional screening and identity verification when traveling through U.S. airports. Those fines won't start anytime soon.
In a statement to Thrifty Traveler, the TSA said it is “with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints. Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
The federal rulemaking process often takes months, even years to become the law of the land. Case in point: It took nearly four years from the time the federal government first proposed raising the cost of Global Entry until it was officially raised from $100 to $120 for a five-year membership.
If approved as written, paying that $18 fee would cover a traveler for 10 days. The federal government argues it would “address the government-incurred costs” of identity verification for travelers without Real ID, calling the process “time and resource intensive, limiting the number of individuals for whom TSA can provide the service.”
That non-refundable fee would be collected “at the time an individual registers and requests alternative identity verification” – so, presumably at the airport or, with the assistance of the airlines, at check-in. The proposed rule said third-parties will be allowed to accept the payment for the TSA.
Real ID requirements went into effect in May 2025, nearly 20 years after the law requiring them was passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. So far, travelers without Real ID have simply been told to “expect to face delays, additional enhanced and more thorough screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint” and given a warning to get an up-to-date while continuing through security queues.
Real IDs come with some additional hoops to jump through when applying for or renewing a driver's license – they're marked with a gold star showing they're federally approved. When the rule went into effect in May, there were widespread reports of difficulty getting Real ID appointments, too.
While bringing a passport or a Global Entry card is an easy workaround, there's an even better alternative now to avoid the hassle altogether. Apple recently rolled out a new Digital ID feature for iPhones with the latest iOS update, allowing travelers to digitally and securely store their passport – meaning a simple tap of of your phone could get you through security.
Bottom Line
While far, far from implementation as law, a new rule proposed by the TSA would charge non-Real ID compliant travelers $18 for their additional screening and identity verification.
