No Real ID? It Could Cost You $18 To Go Through TSA Checkpoints Under Proposed Rule

Airline passengers who show up at security without a REAL ID or passport may soon have to pay an $18 charge under a new Transportation Security Administration proposal. The fee is tied to TSA’s plan to replace its current identification process with a biometric-based verification system.

According to the proposal — which is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on Thursday — anyone lacking the required identification would be processed through a new digital kiosk that confirms identity using personal biographic and biometric information before they can move forward at the checkpoint. The $18 cost would grant the traveler access to TSA checkpoints for a 10-day window and is intended to help fund the technology behind the updated system.

The timeline for launching the new identity system remains uncertain. Publication in the Federal Register triggers a public comment period before any rule can be finalized.

Congress passed the federal REAL ID Act in 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks, but its rollout has faced repeated postponements. The Department of Homeland Security finally began enforcing the requirement for domestic travelers this past May.

A TSA spokesperson, responding to ABC News, framed the fee as part of the long-delayed compliance effort. “This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary [Kristi] Noem as of May 2025. TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints. Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days,” the spokesperson said.

Travelers who reach the checkpoint without a REAL ID-compliant document would be routed into what TSA calls a “modernized alternative identity verification program,” relying on biometric matching to confirm who they are. But the notice makes clear there are limits: the system 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.” Those using alternative methods could undergo extra screening and experience delays.

TSA argues the new setup will ultimately speed up the process by updating an outdated verification method. The $18 fee is designed to offset the cost of deploying the new system nationwide.

The proposal specifies that the $18 charge is nonrefundable, but valid for 10 days. A traveler who flies more than once during that period without a REAL ID or passport would not be charged a second time.

{Matzav.com}