Travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID to TSA agents will now be able to pay ahead of time or at the airport — but it doesn`t mean they`re guaranteed to fly.

A Homeland Security REAL ID message at Miami International Airport in 2024.Jeff Greenberg / Getty Images file

That little star on your U.S. driver`s license is about to save you $45.

Beginning Sunday, air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, are subject to a new fee.

It isn`t a penalty or a fine - it`s payment for noncompliant travelers to use the Transportation Security Administration`s new alternate identity verification option called ConfirmID. But the process takes extra time, and paying the fee doesn`t guarantee you`ll make your flight.

The Department of Homeland Security says most U.S. travelers are already compliant and that the fee is meant to encourage the rest - those without a star-marked REAL ID - to obtain one.

Still, the new fee may catch some passengers off guard, so here`s a breakdown:

What is a REAL ID?

It is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Obtaining the ID means taking more documents to the motor vehicle agency than most states require for regular IDs. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008, but the implementation was repeatedly delayed.

The updated ID is indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in most U.S. states. It has been required since May, but travelers without it - and without another TSA-accepted ID - were still allowed through security with extra screening and a warning. That changes Sunday.

Who has to pay?

Travelers 18 and older flying domestically without proper identification on them will have to pay $45 to verify their identity at the airport through the ConfirmID process. If approved, the verification covers a 10-day travel period.

Paying the fee, however, does not guarantee access to U.S. air travel, and passengers whose identities cannot be verified may be turned away at airport security.
Why $45?

Steve Lorincz, the TSA`s deputy executive assistant administrator, said the $45 fee allows the agency to modernize current systems to cater to the volume of travelers without a REAL ID.

"The fee is all about making sure that we have the most modern system to handle not only the administrative processes, but the technology, and handle the 6% of the volume that is coming through our checkpoints today that do not have a REAL ID compliant driver`s license," Lorincz said.

Previously, those who arrived at the airport without an acceptable ID still had a chance of boarding their flights if they passed an identity verification process. This could include extra questioning or providing alternative documentation - without paying any fees.

Now, travelers without acceptable ID will be paying for these modernized TSA systems. "This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer," said Adam Stahl, acting TSA deputy administrator, in a press release.

How it works

The service fee is paid online at tsa.gov/ConfirmID. Travelers will have to enter their legal name and the start date of their travel. Accepted payment methods include debit and credit cards, Venmo and PayPal.

Someone other than the traveler can make the payment, according to TSA, but the traveler`s information must be entered correctly.

Passengers will then receive an emailed payment receipt from pay.gov.

At the airport checkpoint, show a government-issued ID and a digital or printed copy of the receipt to begin the verification process.

TSA recommends that travelers pay the fee before arriving at the airport to save time, as the verification process alone could take up to 30 minutes.

All airline travelers who use TSA ConfirmID, whether they pay online or in person, will be subject to additional ID verification, screening measures and potential delays.

Travelers who arrive at the TSA checkpoint without an acceptable form of ID who have not already paid online will be subject to additional delays that may lead to a missed flight.

Beginning Sunday, airports will have videos and signage with QR codes directing travelers to the ConfirmID website. Lorincz said airport and TSA representatives will be able to direct travelers to said signage before they are processed through a TSA checkpoint.

Cash will not be accepted at airports to pay the $45 fee.

Other accepted forms of ID

TSA accepts digital IDs through platforms such as Apple Wallet and Google Wallet at more than 250 airport checkpoints in the U.S.

The agency has a full list of acceptable IDs on its website. They include:

- Passport or passport card

- Permanent resident cards

- Trusted traveler cards, such as Global Entry or NEXUS

- Military IDs

- Photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations.