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.
- Travelers without a REAL ID will soon be charged a $45 fee to verify their identity.
- A new process called confirm.ID can be completed online before arriving at the airport.
- This alternate identity verification is valid for 10 days for each payment.
Traveling without a REAL ID will soon cost you $45.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Monday that 94% of U.S. airline passengers have a REAL ID. After February 1, the remaining 6% will have to follow an alternative process that includes paying a fee.
Officials said the fee is intended to cover the technical and administrative costs of verifying the identity of travelers who do not have REAL ID-compliant documentation or accepted alternative documentation.
According to TSA officials, non-compliant travelers using the new confirm.ID process should plan to pay and upload documents through the soon-to-be-online TSA web portal before arriving at the airport.
These travelers must bring a copy of their Confirmation ID receipt to a standard TSA counter, and after presenting the non-compliant document and proof of completion of the Confirmation ID process, they should be able to pass through the security checkpoint as normal.
Travelers who have not completed the confirm.ID process in advance have the option to complete it at the airport. TSA officials generally expect ID verification to take 10 to 15 minutes, but said it could take up to 30 minutes depending on the specific case.
Registration with confirm.ID does not guarantee that TSA will be able to verify a traveler’s identity, so even after paying the fee, a traveler may be denied boarding if the government is unable to complete the identity check.
According to TSA officials, the confirm.ID alternative compliance method is valid for 10 days per payment, starting from the first departure date of the itinerary.
Currently, travelers without a REAL ID may undergo additional screening, including name and address verification, before being allowed through a secure checkpoint.
What types of ID does TSA accept?
According to the TSA, as of December 1, the acceptable forms of identification are:
- REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state photo ID issued by the DMV or state equivalent
- State-issued enhanced driver’s license or enhanced ID
- US passport or passport card
- Homeland Security-trusted traveler cards (such as Global Entry)
- permanent resident card
- border crossing card
- Photo ID issued by a federally recognized tribal nation/Indian tribe
- U.S. Department of Defense ID (including those issued to dependents)
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
- US Merchant Mariner Certification
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Transportation Worker Identification Certificate (TWIC)
- HSPD-12 PIV Card
- Passport card issued by a foreign government
- Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
The TSA says travelers with alternate REAL IDs should check the TSA webpage before traveling because the list of what’s acceptable is subject to change without notice.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributor: Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY
