WMBCTV: No REAL ID? TSA Says You’ll Pay $45 to Get Through Security

If you’re planning to fly out of Newark or any New Jersey airport next month, TSA officials say now is the time to check your wallet. Beginning February first, passengers who show up without a REAL ID - or another acceptable form of identification - will be required to pay a 45-dollar fee to verify their identity before entering TSA checkpoints.

"The purpose for this briefing and the most critical point I can make is that travelers planning to travel by commercial aircraft after January 31st still have time to obtain their REAL ID,” said Thomas Carter, Federal Security Director, TSA. “Travelers who arrive at a TSA checkpoint without a REAL ID after that date should pay the $45 fee on pay.gov prior to leaving for the airport and show the officer at the checkpoint your receipt for that payment along with your noncompliant ID.”

TSA officials say the fee will cover a new system called TSA ConfirmID, which uses modernized identity verification technology to confirm who you are when a compliant ID isn’t available. They stress that if you don’t have a REAL ID and still want to fly, ConfirmID will be your only option.

“Utilizing the TSA ConfirmID is voluntary and travelers may decline to participate,” said Thomas Carter, Federal Security Director, TSA. “However, a traveler who chooses not to participate in this service may be denied access to the sterile area and may not be able to continue on his or her flight. The TSA ConfirmID process should take an average of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, it could take longer - up to 30 minutes perhaps or more - depending on the information used to verify the traveler’s identity, security checkpoint wait times and additional screening measures that may be applied.”

TSA says more than 94 percent of passengers already have acceptable identification, including REAL IDs, U.S. passports or trusted traveler cards like Global Entry. TSA Federal Security Director Tom Carter emphasizes that the easiest way to avoid delays and the extra cost is to upgrade your ID now.

“Acceptable forms of ID such as REAL IDs or passports deter those with malicious intent and those looking to travel illegally which is a critical component of our security mission and to keep travel secure,” said Thomas Carter, Federal Security Director, TSA.

Officials say those who don’t update their IDs may encounter longer wait times at the airport, especially if they haven’t paid the fee in advance. TSA says the fee applies for a 10-day travel period, meaning travelers who book a round trip within that window will only have to pay once.