TSA Biometric Fee And Upgrades At U.S. Airport Security

Published on Nov 24, 2025, 1:04 pm CST

8 min read

Key points

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has announced a more than $1 billion TSA modernization plan to deploy new scanners and Advanced Imaging Technology across U.S. airports over the coming months
The same push includes $10,000 bonuses for select TSA officers who worked without pay during the 43 day shutdown, mirroring limited $10,000 awards for 776 FAA controllers and technicians with perfect attendance
Separately, TSA has proposed an $18 biometric based alternative identity verification fee for travelers who arrive at security without a REAL ID or other accepted ID, valid for a 10 day travel window
There is not yet a detailed public roadmap for how the $1 billion in upgrades will be funded or sequenced, so travelers should expect gradual checkpoint changes rather than immediate relief
Most travelers can avoid the new fee and potential delays by carrying a REAL ID compliant license or passport, watching for biometric expansion, and building extra time into U.S. airport security plans

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Travelers who use busy U.S. hubs and frequently fly without backup ID will feel the most impact as TSA layers new scanners, biometric checks, and the $18 program into already crowded checkpoints
Best Times To Travel: Early morning and midday flights outside peak holiday periods will remain the safest options while equipment is swapped out and new procedures bed in, since surges magnify any extra ID or screening steps
Onward Travel And Changes: Connections built on tight layovers or separate tickets will be more fragile if a traveler ends up in alternative identity verification, so itineraries should include wider buffers and more conservative self connections
What Travelers Should Do Now: Secure a REAL ID or passport, carry at least one backup document, monitor DHS and TSA rollout notices, and treat the $18 program as an emergency fallback rather than a routine workaround
Privacy And Data Considerations: Anyone uneasy about biometric scanning should expect more facial recognition and kiosk style checks at TSA, review agency privacy statements, and limit repeated use of new ID technologies when alternatives exist

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A new TSA biometric fee U.S. airport security proposal, an $18 charge tied to ID checks, is arriving as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem touts a $1 billion TSA upgrade in a November 23, 2025 speech in Minneapolis. Together they signal bigger changes ahead for anyone flying through U.S. airports in the next year. For travelers, this means checkpoints that are gradually more high tech, potentially more efficient, but also less forgiving if someone arrives without proper identification.

In plain terms, the combination of the proposed TSA biometric fee and the promised billion dollar investment in screening equipment will reshape airport security in the United States, tightening identity rules while slowly swapping out older X ray and body scanners for newer systems.

What DHS Just Announced At TSA Checkpoints

Speaking at Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), Noem said the Department of Homeland Security will invest more than $1 billion in new X ray machines, Advanced Imaging Technology units, and related checkpoint equipment, describing it as the largest such upgrade in roughly a decade.

Local coverage of her remarks at MSP and earlier events at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas makes clear that this is a nationwide plan. Noem has repeatedly used language about deploying new scanning equipment, upgrading training, and giving TSA officers tools that let them work "well, accurately, efficiently," but DHS has not yet released a detailed airport by airport rollout map or a formal budget document beyond broad figures.

For travelers, that lack of granularity matters. A billion dollars sounds like an immediate transformation, but actual benefits, such as clearer images, fewer bag checks, or consolidated body scanners, will show up airport by airport over many months as equipment is ordered, installed, tested, and certified. During that window, some checkpoints will run with a mix of legacy and new machines, which can temporarily increase queues as staff learn new workflows.

Who Gets The $10,000 Shutdown Bonuses

The MSP event also doubled as a celebration of TSA officers who worked without pay during the 43 day federal shutdown that ran from October 1 to November 12, 2025, the longest in U.S. history. Noem has promised $10,000 bonuses to officers who went "above and beyond," particularly those who took extra shifts or helped colleagues cover childcare and transportation gaps so airports could keep operating.

So far, however, the bonus pool is limited. At FAA, only 776 of roughly 14,000 air traffic controllers and technicians will receive similar $10,000 checks, restricted to people with perfect attendance during the shutdown. Unions have criticized the approach as unfair to thousands who also reported for duty most days while struggling with unpaid bills.

DHS has not yet released a full list or percentage of TSA officers who will qualify, and coverage of Noem's earlier events in Las Vegas suggests that only a relatively small group have been honored in person so far.

The bonus scheme does not directly change how passengers are screened, but it does intersect with travel reliability. The recent shutdown saw increased sick calls and absenteeism at both TSA and air traffic control, forcing flight caps and longer lines at some major airports. Rewarding at least a slice of frontline staff may help retention in a system that has struggled to recruit and keep enough officers, although frustration among those left out could pull in the opposite direction.

How The Proposed $18 Biometric Fee Works

Separate from bonuses and hardware upgrades, TSA has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register for what it calls a "modernized alternative identity verification program." Under that proposal, any traveler who arrives at a checkpoint without an acceptable ID, such as a REAL ID compliant license or passport, could pay a non refundable $18 fee that covers a ten day period and allows TSA to attempt identity verification using new technology, rather than the current manual interview process.

The ten day window is meant to cover round trips or short sequences of flights, so a traveler who loses a wallet once would not pay repeatedly during the same trip. Crucially, though, TSA stresses that paying the $18 does not guarantee clearance, and anyone who cannot be confidently matched to records may still be denied access to the secure area or subjected to more intrusive screening.

Reporting by multiple outlets suggests the system will lean heavily on biometrics, likely facial recognition, combined with database checks of government and commercial records, similar to existing Touchless ID pilots at some PreCheck lanes. The notice leaves open questions about how often a traveler can use the program, whether sign up will be available on the day of travel at kiosks, and how TSA will handle people who cannot use or decline biometric tools for medical, religious, or privacy reasons.

For now, the fee is only a proposal and is in a public comment period, so the amount, rules, or even the basic structure could change before any launch. Travelers should also understand that this program is designed as a safety net when something goes wrong with ID, not as a shortcut to skip REAL ID requirements, and TSA retains discretion to adjust the fee or limit usage in future notices.

Background: REAL ID, Shutdown Strains, And Security Tech

These moves come in the first year of full REAL ID enforcement at airport checkpoints, a milestone that arrived in May 2025 after years of extensions and soft rollouts. Since then, adults flying within the United States have needed either a compliant license or another accepted document, such as a passport or trusted traveler card, although TSA has retained a low tech alternative for some without ID in which officers ask personal questions and consult data brokers.

The 2025 shutdown demonstrated how fragile that system can be when staffing and morale are stretched. During the 43 day lapse in funding, more than 50,000 TSA officers and roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers worked without pay, absenteeism rose as people picked up second jobs or could not cover commuting and childcare costs, and regulators ordered flight caps at dozens of airports.

By combining selective bonuses, a modernized identity program, and a large technology investment, DHS is trying to both reward loyalty and reduce the labor and time required to keep security lines moving. From a traveler's perspective, the result is a checkpoint that depends more on machines and data and less on ad hoc conversations with individual officers.

Practical Takeaways For Travelers

For most people, the best way to navigate this transition is straightforward. Secure a REAL ID compliant license or a passport as soon as possible, carry at least one backup document in a separate bag, and assume that turning up without acceptable ID will soon mean paying $18, facing extra scrutiny, risking denial of boarding, or all three.

As new scanners and body imaging systems arrive, travelers may notice changes in lane layouts, tray rules, or liquids and electronics policies at specific airports. Some advanced computed tomography scanners can allow laptops and small liquids to remain in bags, while others still require more traditional divesting, so reading local signage and listening to officers at each checkpoint will matter even more during the rollout.

Connection strategies should also adapt. Anyone flying on separate tickets, relying on tight domestic connections, or traveling at peak holiday times should budget extra time for security and consider building in longer layovers, especially if there is any chance of an ID problem. Families traveling with teenagers who have recently received their first IDs and infrequent travelers who have not yet upgraded licenses are particularly exposed.

Finally, privacy expectations at checkpoints are shifting. With TSA expanding facial recognition pilots and now proposing an explicitly technology enabled alternative ID system, travelers who are uneasy about biometric data should review TSA privacy impact assessments and opt for conventional document checks whenever they can, using the new fee based program only when a lost or forgotten ID would otherwise ruin a trip.

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