TSA charges $45 to get through security without Real ID starting Feb. 1. How to pay online

Airport security saw several changes in 2025, and another one was recently implemented at the start of the month.

Starting in July 2025, the Transportation Security Administration allowed travelers to keep their shoes on when passing through checkpoints. It also banned some items, including certain cordless hair tools and external batteries, from checked luggage.

A UPS cargo plane moves in the background at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Thursday, November 6, 2025

As of Feb. 1, 2026, a new TSA policy may require you to pay a fee to get through security. Here's what to know, and how to pay for it ahead of time.

TSA may charge $45 to get through security without Real ID or passport

In November 2025, TSA revealed it would start requiring non-Real ID travelers to pay an $18 fee to get through security at the airport. The administration later increased the fee to $45, effective Feb. 1, 2026, according to the TSA website.

Under the new rule, travelers without the required identification, such as a Real ID or passport, will have their identity verified by TSA at security checkpoints. The fee would cover the costs and resources used to verify someone's identity, according to ABC News.

How to pay $45 TSA fee online before you travel

Travelers don't have to wait until their travel day to pay the new fee. TSA offers an online portal, TSA ConfirmID, where travelers can pay the $45 fee before arriving at the airport. Passengers can then pass through a checkpoint without an approved ID for 10 days (based on the date of payment) if they travel again within that timeframe.

Travelers can give a ConfirmID receipt to TSA officials and proceed through the security checkpoint as usual after presenting their non-compliant documents and proof that they completed the ConfirmID process.

However, the process doesn't guarantee TSA's ability to verify a traveler's identity. So, even if you paid the fee, you could be denied boarding.

How long does it take to get a Real ID in Kentucky?

Want to avoid TSA's $45 security fee? Make sure to have these acceptable forms of ID

If you don't have a Real ID, here are some backup IDs you can show to TSA to avoid the $45 charge. Other acceptable forms of identification include:

  • U.S. passports
  • U.S. passport cards
  • State-issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)
  • Foreign passports
  • Permanent resident cards
  • Border crossing cards

A temporary driver’s license is not accepted for domestic air travel.

Reach Marina Johnson at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: TSA charges $45 to get through security without Real ID starting Feb. 1. How to pay online

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