TSA finalizes $45 Confirm.ID fee for flyers without acceptable ID starting Feb. 1, 2026
The Transportation Security Administration will charge a $45 Confirm.ID fee for travelers who cannot present an acceptable form of identification — such as a REAL ID, passport or trusted traveler card — covering a 10-day travel period and taking effect Feb. 1, 2026. TSA urges travelers to pay online before arriving to avoid expected delays (airport payment options and signage will be available), notes temporary driver’s licenses are not accepted, warns that paying does not guarantee successful identity verification and some passengers could still miss flights, and frames the fee as shifting identity-verification costs from taxpayers to travelers.
📌 Key Facts
- TSA will charge a $45 fee for travelers without acceptable ID to use its Confirm.ID verification system; the fee takes effect Feb. 1, 2026, and covers a 10-day travel period.
- TSA urges travelers to pay the $45 online before arriving at the airport; airport payment options and signage will be available, but delays are expected for those paying at the airport.
- TSA cautions that paying the Confirm.ID fee does not guarantee identity verification — some travelers may still fail verification and could miss flights.
- Acceptable IDs that avoid the fee include REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses, passports, and trusted traveler cards; temporary driver’s licenses are not accepted. (REAL ID compliance began in May 2025.)
- TSA official Adam Stahl framed the fee as shifting costs from taxpayers to travelers.
📊 Relevant Data
18% of Black voting-age U.S. citizens do not have a driver's license, compared to 15% of Hispanic, 13% of Asian/Pacific Islander, and 5% of White voting-age U.S. citizens.
Who Lacks ID in America Today? An Exploration of Voter ID Access and Awareness — University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement
23% of voting-age U.S. citizens with annual incomes under $30,000 do not have a driver's license, compared to 9% of those with incomes over $100,000.
Who Lacks ID in America Today? An Exploration of Voter ID Access and Awareness — University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement
34% of Black Americans hold a current U.S. passport, compared to 42% of White Americans and 55% of Hispanic Americans.
Adults under 30 are more likely than older Americans to have a U.S. passport — YouGov
As of January 2024, approximately 56% of driver's licenses and identification cards in circulation in the U.S. are REAL ID-compliant.
Minimum Standards for Driver's Licenses and Identification Cards Acceptable by Federal Agencies for Official Purposes — Federal Register
Nearly 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens (just under 9%) do not have a current (non-expired) driver's license.
Who Lacks ID in America Today? An Exploration of Voter ID Access and Awareness — University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- FOX 9 piece reiterates that the $45 ConfirmID fee becomes effective Feb. 1 and stresses TSA’s recommendation to pay online before arriving at the airport to avoid delays.
- It lays out, in one place, TSA’s full list of acceptable IDs and clarifies that temporary driver’s licenses are not accepted.
- The article underlines that TSA cannot guarantee they will be able to verify a traveler’s identity even after paying the fee, meaning some people could still miss flights.
- TSA will charge a $45 fee for travelers without acceptable ID to use its Confirm.ID verification system.
- The fee covers a 10-day travel period and takes effect Feb. 1, 2026.
- TSA urges travelers to pay online before arriving; airport payment options and signage will be available, but delays are expected.
- Official quote from TSA’s Adam Stahl framing the fee as shifting costs from taxpayers to travelers.
- Clarifies acceptable IDs (e.g., REAL ID, passports, trusted traveler cards) that avoid the fee; notes REAL ID compliance began in May 2025.