TSA $18 Fee For No Real ID At Airport Security

Published on Nov 21, 2025, 4:11 pm CST

6 min read

Key points

TSA has proposed an $18 modernized alternative identity verification fee for travelers who reach airport security without a Real ID or other accepted ID
Each registration would cover a 10 day window during which a traveler can attempt alternative identity checks multiple times, but it does not guarantee clearance
The program is meant to replace today's manual identity questions with a faster technology enabled process that can handle more cases
Travelers without a Real ID or passport will likely still be able to fly if their identity is verified, but those who refuse both the fee based program and other checks can be turned away
TSA has not yet announced when registration will open, how travelers will sign up, or whether enrollment will be offered at airport checkpoints

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Travelers who forget their wallet, lose their ID en route, or have not yet upgraded to a Real ID will feel this most at busy U.S. hub airports
Best Times To Travel: Early departures and off peak flights remain the safest choices because any extra time spent on identity verification will hurt most during morning and evening rushes
Onward Travel And Changes: Connections built on tight layovers will be more fragile if you show up without ID, so allow extra buffer or avoid separate tickets if you might need alternative screening
What Travelers Should Do Now: Secure a Real ID, passport, or other accepted document well before May trips, treat the $18 program as a last resort, and plan to arrive even earlier if you lack compliant ID
Privacy And Data Considerations: Expect biometric or other high tech checks as part of the modernized program and review TSA privacy statements if you are concerned about how your data will be used

A new TSA fee without Real ID will soon affect U.S. airport security lines, after a November 20 Federal Register notice outlined an $18 screening program at domestic checkpoints. The Transportation Security Administration plans to charge travelers who arrive at airport security without a Real ID or another accepted identification document for access to a "modernized alternative identity verification program" that runs for a 10 day window. The change will matter most for people who forget their wallet, lose a license during a trip, or still have not upgraded to compliant ID, and it means anyone in that situation should build in extra time or risk being denied boarding.

In plain terms, the policy would add a paid safety net for travelers who show up at TSA checkpoints without a compliant driver's license, passport, Global Entry card, or another approved document, while raising the stakes for those who still try to fly without proper ID. The notice describes the modernized alternative identity verification program as a registered traveler program with a non refundable $18 fee, valid for 10 days, that lets TSA use technology rather than lengthy interviews to confirm identity and decide what level of screening is needed.

Background: Real ID finally bites at the checkpoint

TSA began full enforcement of the Real ID Act at airport checkpoints on May 7, 2025, two decades after Congress first ordered states to upgrade license security standards in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Adults who want to fly domestically now must present either a Real ID compliant driver's license or another federally accepted document, such as a U.S. passport, a passport card, certain tribal IDs, or trusted traveler cards.

In practice, the first months after the May deadline were softer than the rule itself. Most airports reported smooth operations, and TSA continued to let many travelers without compliant ID fly after diverting them into a separate identity verification process that relied on officers asking personal questions and cross checking commercially available data. The new program is TSA's attempt to replace that manual, time consuming fallback with a consistent process that can scale.

How the new $18 program would work

Under the Federal Register notice, anyone who reaches the checkpoint without an "acceptable form of identification" can choose to register for the modernized alternative identity verification program and pay an $18 non refundable fee. The fee buys a 10 day window in which TSA will try to verify that person's identity using technology enabled tools, and it can cover multiple flights during that span if the traveler again shows up without proper ID.

TSA stresses that paying the fee does not guarantee success. The notice states that the modernized program "does not guarantee that an individual's identity will be verified or that the individual will be provided access to the sterile area of the airport," and that travelers may still face extra screening or delays. Those who repeatedly rely on the program instead of presenting valid ID could see their access limited in the future.

The agency has not yet published a start date. Collection of the fee will only begin when TSA announces that travelers can register for the program on TSA.gov and any related portals. The notice also does not spell out exactly how registration will work in practice, whether sign up will be possible on the day of travel at airport kiosks, or whether travelers will need to enroll online before heading to the airport.

From questions at a podium to high tech checks

Today's alternative identity verification process is low tech but labor intensive. When someone lacks ID, officers pull them aside for additional questions, compare their answers to commercial databases, and piece together enough evidence to be comfortable letting them through. TSA describes this as time and resource intensive, with limited capacity to handle surges, which is why the agency wants a "modernized, technology enabled program" that can process many more cases without clogging the line.

Although TSA's notice does not brand the system as biometric, language about leveraging technology and outside reporting about facial recognition and kiosk based checks strongly suggest that biometrics will play a role, much as they already do in TSA PreCheck Touchless ID pilots with airlines like Southwest. For travelers, that means the experience is likely to feel closer to stepping up to a kiosk or camera than answering a series of personal questions across a podium.

Will the hands on fallback still exist?

One open question is whether the old manual alternative ID process will disappear or simply shrink. The notice emphasizes that individuals who decline to use the modernized program or who refuse to cooperate with TSA's identity verification process will not be allowed into the secure area of the airport. That implies some form of officer led fallback may remain for those who cannot use the technology, but it is clear that travelers will not have a right to insist on a no fee interview instead of the new system.

TSA also positions the fee as a cost recovery step, not a fine, pointing to a congressional directive that any registered traveler program should be self funding. The $18 price is meant to cover infrastructure, software development, data security, and customer support for the modernized program, and TSA retains the right to adjust the amount in future notices as costs change.

What travelers should do now

For most travelers, this policy will never come into play. The simplest way to avoid the fee is to carry a Real ID compliant license or a passport every time you fly and to keep at least one backup document in a separate bag. If you are still waiting on a Real ID appointment, consider a passport card or full passport, especially if you travel more than once or twice each year, and review Adept Traveler's explainer on passport cards for domestic trips.

If you do arrive at the airport without an acceptable document once the program starts, you can expect to face a choice. Either you pay the $18 fee and attempt modernized alternative verification, recognizing that clearance is not guaranteed, or you decline and almost certainly forfeit your flight. In that scenario, plan to spend more time at the checkpoint, protect connection margins by avoiding separate tickets, and have a same day backup plan in case TSA cannot verify your identity.

Travelers who are uneasy about biometric data collection will need to weigh privacy concerns against the risk and cost of missing a trip. Existing TSA pilots, like Touchless ID expansions with Southwest and Alaska Airlines, already show how quickly tech driven ID checks are moving into the mainstream checkpoint experience. Reading TSA's privacy impact assessments and limiting reliance on the alternative identity program to true emergencies is the most practical balance for now.