What to know about Real ID requirements

People traveling within the United States will face a new $45 fee if they don't have proper identification, such as REAL ID, at airport security checkpoints.

Some airports have continued to accept certain forms of identification other than REAL ID since May 2025, when the REAL ID requirement first went into effect, but starting Feb. 1, 2026, the Transportation Security Administration will begin charging a fee to passengers passing through airport security checkpoints who don't have a REAL ID or other approved identification.

Here is everything to know about the new requirement and how to obtain a REAL ID or IDP.

Travelers without a REAL ID or other form of approved identification at U.S. airports for domestic flights will face a $45 fee, dubbed the "TSA ConfirmID Fee," starting next month, as part of TSA's next phase of the REAL ID implementation process.

Starting Feb. 1, individuals without compliant forms of identification will be required to verify their identity through a biometric or biographic system before they are allowed to pass through a TSA checkpoint.

According to the TSA website, travelers who present "state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance" before being directed to a separate area, where they "may receive additional screening."

Other forms of approved identification accepted at TSA checkpoints include valid U.S. passports or U.S. passport cards; DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST; Department of Defense IDs; permanent resident or border crossing cards; photo IDs issued by a federally recognized tribal nation; international driver license and more.