The Transportation Security Administration is moving forward with a new rule under which airplane passengers who do not have a REAL ID or a passport could face an $18 fee.
Travelers who are passing through security with the required identification will have their identity checks with a new kiosk system, with the fee being used to compensate for the cost of the new system.
The new system will be a biometric kiosk that TSA describes as a “modernized alternative identity verification program,” allowing passengers to access TSA checkpoints for up to 10 days after paying the $18 nonrefundable fee.
The agency said that this change is meant to streamline the process to get through airport security, replacing the current system. TSA said the use of the kiosk does not guarantee “an individual’s identity will be verified or that the individual will be provided access to the sterile area of the airport.”
It is not clear when the new kiosk will be implemented at airport security checkpoints.
The new rule was to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, with the proposed change then entering a public comment period.
REAL ID enforcement officially kicked off in May after the REAL ID Act became law 20 years ago. REAL ID requirements arose from a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission and set minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.
Those standards apply to those boarding a commercial flight in the U.S.
Enforcement of REAL ID was initially originally scheduled to take place 13 years ago, but has been delayed multiple times. The final delay was granted in late 2022 to allow states additional time to issue REAL IDs in the wake of the pandemic.
In a statement to ABC News, a TSA spokesperson said, “This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary Noem as of May 2025. TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints. Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
