The Real ID rules went into effect in May 2025 and mean that all travelers must present an enhanced driver’s license, passport, Global Entry card, or other form of federal identification at the airport security checkpoint. (TSA has a full list of accepted IDs on its website.)
Currently, travelers who show up to the TSA kiosk without a Real ID are shifted to a separate area where TSA officers attempt to verify their identities by asking them questions about their biographical information. Officers then pass the information to the National Transportation Vetting Center, a TSA call center that helps conduct the identity verification using travelers’ personal information. Then, travelers are potentially subjected to additional screening procedures, like more intense bag searches and possible pat-downs, at the security checkpoint, and there’s no guarantee they’ll be allowed to proceed to their departure gate.
“The current alternative identity verification process is time and resource intensive, limiting the number of individuals for whom TSA can provide the service,” says a notice from the agency in the federal register. The more modernized system would replace the TSA call center with an automated tech-supported option.
The agency had previously proposed a fee of $18 to cover the new service, but upon further assessment realized the fee should be higher to cover the full cost of the revamped verification process. The $45 fee “ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer,” Adam Stahl, senior official performing the duties of deputy administrator for TSA, said in a statement.
Even with the enhanced system, there will still be no guarantee that travelers without a Real ID will be granted access to the secure area of the airport, according to TSA. Fliers whose identities cannot be verified with the modernized process will not be refunded the $45 fee. Plus, passengers could still be subject to additional security screening measures and experience delays. Participation in the new alternate identity verification program will also be completely optional, but travelers with no Real ID who choose not to participate will not be allowed past TSA.
Although the new program is set to streamline operations for forgetful travelers, the best option will still be to apply for a Real ID—and remember to bring it to the airport.
This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
