REAL ID is coming soon. Here’s what you need to know
Regulations 20 years in the making will go into effect on May 7, as adult travelers will need a Real ID to travel domestically.
- TSA has proposed imposing an $18 fee on travelers who arrive at airport security checkpoints without a REAL ID or valid passport.
- REAL ID requirements, which went into effect in May 2025, require compliant ID for air travel.
Travelers who arrive at a U.S. airport security checkpoint without a REAL ID or valid passport could be required to pay an $18 fee to board a plane, according to proposed rules from the Transportation Security Administration.
The non-refundable fee will be used to pay for a “modern alternative identity verification program” using biometric kiosks, according to a notice released Nov. 20. There is no set date for when the new program will begin.
“This notice serves as the next step in the REAL ID compliance process signed more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary Noem in May 2025,” TSA told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both safety and efficiency at our checkpoints. Additional guidance will be released in the coming days.”
The new system will replace the current option and will be streamlined, but officials say in the notice that it will be “time and resource intensive.”
Nearly two decades in the making, REAL ID requirements officially went into effect on May 7, requiring U.S. travelers to have a compliant driver’s license or other approved identification, such as a valid passport, to pass through airport security checkpoints.
Initially, this requirement caused confusion as people rushed to the DMV to renew their IDs before the deadline. As USA TODAY previously reported, the transition was generally smooth with no significant delays.
Here’s what travelers need to know:
What do the new prices mean for travelers?
U.S. resident air passengers 18 years of age or older who do not have acceptable identification will be required to pay an $18 fee to participate in the alternative verification process and fly. Biometric technology and biographical information will be used to verify your identity and grant you access to a secure area of the airport for 10 days. However, entry is not guaranteed and “additional screening and delays may occur,” the notice states.
What types of ID does TSA accept?
According to the TSA, acceptable forms of identification are:
- REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state Department of Transportation-issued photo ID
- State-issued enhanced driver’s license or enhanced ID
- US passport or passport card
- Homeland Security-trusted traveler cards (such as Global Entry)
- US Department of Defense ID
- permanent resident card
- border crossing card
- Photo ID from a federally recognized tribal nation/Indian tribe
- Passport card issued by a foreign government
