TSA · Airport ID
TSA $45 fee without REAL ID, who pays.
Pick what you will show at the checkpoint. The tool says whether TSA lists it as acceptable or whether the $45 ConfirmID fee may apply.
What you will show
Runs in your browser. Nothing you choose is sent anywhere.
Result
The short answer
Since February 1, 2026, an adult who reaches a TSA checkpoint without an acceptable ID has the option of paying a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID. TSA then attempts to verify the traveler's identity so the person can start security screening. TSA is explicit that there is no guarantee it can do so, and that the process is optional. A traveler who declines it and has no acceptable ID may not be allowed through security and could miss the flight.
The fee is not a REAL ID fee and not a substitute for an ID. It is the price of a second-chance identity check, and it is owed only by someone who has none of the accepted documents.
Who pays and who does not
You pay only if you did not bring a REAL ID, a valid passport or another acceptable ID. TSA's FAQ answers the common worry directly: if you brought your valid passport, you do not need to pay the fee or use ConfirmID. The table below runs through the documents TSA lists.
Children under 18 do not need ID to fly within the United States, so no fee applies to them. A child flying alone with TSA PreCheck is the exception: that child needs an acceptable ID to receive PreCheck screening. The fee is charged per adult, and each adult 18 or older without acceptable ID must complete the process separately.
How to pay
The $45 can be paid only through Pay.gov. Cash is not accepted by TSA or at the airport. Pay.gov takes a bank account (ACH), debit card, credit card, Venmo or PayPal. You enter the traveler's legal name and a start date, and the payment is good for 10 days from the date entered.
Someone other than the traveler may pay, and the name on the card does not have to match the traveler. The traveler's information must be entered correctly. Pay.gov emails a confirmation. TSA says to keep that email, take a screenshot or print the receipt, because you must show proof of payment at the checkpoint. If you cannot produce it, you may have to pay again.
At the airport
TSA recommends paying before you arrive. You can pay at the airport on a phone or computer, but if you reach the line without an acceptable ID and without having paid, you have to leave the line to pay. After you finish, you go to the end of the line and show the receipt to a TSA officer to begin verification.
At the checkpoint, be ready to give your legal name, your address and your date of birth. TSA says the actual identity verification happens at the airport, not when you pay.
How to avoid the fee
As of May 7, 2025, state licenses and IDs that are not REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted at airport checkpoints. TSA's advice is to travel with another acceptable ID, such as a passport, or to get a REAL ID from your state motor vehicle office. A temporary paper license is not acceptable either. The sibling page on whether a passport replaces REAL ID covers the full list and the documents a state asks for.
What TSA does with each ID
| You show | What TSA does |
|---|---|
| A REAL ID driver's license or ID (star or flag) | Accepted. A state-issued REAL ID-compliant license or ID card is on the TSA list. |
| An Enhanced Driver's License or Enhanced ID | Accepted. TSA lists state-issued Enhanced licenses and ID cards. |
| A U.S. passport or passport card | Accepted. A valid passport means no REAL ID is needed and no $45 fee is owed. |
| A Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST card | Accepted. TSA lists DHS trusted traveler cards. |
| A permanent resident card | Accepted. TSA lists the permanent resident card. |
| A U.S. Department of Defense ID | Accepted. TSA lists DoD IDs, including those issued to dependents. |
| A photo ID from a federally recognized Tribal Nation | Accepted. TSA lists these IDs, including Enhanced Tribal Cards. |
| A foreign government passport | Accepted. TSA lists foreign government-issued passports. |
| A mobile driver's license on my phone | Accepted only if your state is approved for federal use and the mDL is based on a REAL ID or Enhanced ID. TSA says to bring your physical ID to the checkpoint as well. |
| A regular state license or ID without a star | Not accepted. Since May 7, 2025 a non-compliant license or ID is not valid at TSA checkpoints. Without another acceptable ID you may pay the $45 ConfirmID fee, and TSA cannot guarantee it can verify you. |
| A temporary paper driver's license | Not accepted. TSA says a temporary driver's license is not an acceptable form of identification. Without another acceptable ID you may pay the $45 ConfirmID fee. |
| No ID with me | Adults 18 and older need acceptable ID. You may pay the $45 TSA ConfirmID fee on Pay.gov before you reach the checkpoint, and TSA will try to verify your identity. There is no guarantee it can. |
| I am flying domestically and under 18 | TSA does not require children under 18 to show ID for domestic flights. Ask the airline about its own rules. |
Worked example (hypothetical)
A traveler flies from Chicago on a Friday with a plain license and leaves the passport at home. The checkpoint will not accept the license. She goes to Pay.gov on her phone, enters her legal name and Friday's date, pays $45 by card and saves the confirmation email. She shows the email at the front of the line she rejoined and goes through verification. If TSA cannot verify her, the fee is not a promise she flies. Packing the passport the night before would have cost nothing.
Limits of this page
TSA changes its acceptable ID list without notice and encourages checking it before every trip. This page restates TSA's published rules and does not predict how a particular officer will handle a case.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the TSA ConfirmID fee?
$45. TSA says travelers who cannot provide an acceptable ID can pay it to attempt identity verification at the checkpoint.
When did the TSA $45 fee start?
TSA says that starting February 1, 2026, travelers without acceptable ID at a checkpoint have the option to pay the $45 fee.
Do I pay the $45 fee if I have a passport?
No. TSA says a traveler who brought a valid passport does not need to pay the fee or use ConfirmID.
How do I pay the TSA ConfirmID fee?
Only through Pay.gov, with a bank account, debit card, credit card, Venmo or PayPal. Cash is not accepted, and you must show proof of payment at the checkpoint.
How long is the TSA ConfirmID payment valid?
TSA says the fee lets you use ConfirmID for 10 days from the travel date listed on the receipt.
Does paying the fee guarantee I can fly?
No. TSA says it will attempt to verify your identity but there is no guarantee that it can.
Can someone else pay the TSA fee for me?
Yes. The payer's name does not have to match the traveler, but the traveler's name and travel dates must be entered correctly.
Do children need to pay the TSA fee?
TSA does not require children under 18 to show ID for domestic flights.
Sources
Retrieved 2026-11-01. Each link was opened and checked against the claim next to it. TSA changes its list of acceptable IDs without notice.
- TSA: TSA ConfirmID: The $45 fee, optional use, no guarantee, Pay.gov payment, accepted payment types, proof of payment and the 10 day window.
- TSA: TSA ConfirmID FAQs: Passport holders owe nothing, minors, cash, paying for others, lost receipts, losing your place in line and the information requested at the checkpoint.
- TSA: Acceptable IDs at the TSA Checkpoint: The list of acceptable IDs, the May 7, 2025 REAL ID date and the February 1, 2026 fee start.
Not legal advice
This page is general information about published TSA rules, not legal advice. Agencies change their guidance, and your facts may differ. Confirm anything that matters with TSA or your state motor vehicle office before you travel. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.