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If you have not yet obtained a Real ID, but plan to travel in the near future, you will face a hefty $45 fee.
The Transportation Security Administration began charging fees on February 1 for travelers who arrive at airport security without a valid REAL ID, such as an enhanced driver’s license or passport. States began issuing Real ID-compatible licenses in 2016, but the new requirements don’t begin to take effect until May 2025.
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That’s when REAL IDs first became mandatory at airports in the United States, although the TSA still offers alternative ways to verify a traveler’s identity using additional security measures. The new $45 fee is intended to cover this additional work.
“This modern, technology-enabled program will provide additional alternative identity verification methods beyond what TSA currently provides and reduce the time required to verify identities using the current method,” TSA said in the proposal. “The current alternative identity verification process is time and resource intensive, which limits the number of individuals TSA can serve.”
“TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure security and efficiency at our checkpoints,” a TSA representative told CNET. “Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
How will the fees work?
According to the proposal, the TSA would not refund the $45 fee if someone failed a security screening and couldn’t pass after paying.
However, if successful, the traveler will be able to continue traveling for 10 days without a REAL ID using a biometrics kiosk, without having to pay fees repeatedly.
Technology companies, including Apple, are working on solutions to make mobile IDs easier. The company recently added a feature that allows people to do this Add a passport to Apple Wallet. Some countries also offer options for this Use your phone as an alternative to your driver’s license.
The TSA is unlikely to enforce the charges before Holiday travel season this year. a guarantee Having a REAL ID-friendly form of identification is a good idea if you have air travel in your future, regardless of the fees associated.