No REAL ID or passport? That’ll be $45 if you want to fly as of Feb. 1, TSA says

Flying without REAL ID will cost many travelers extra to board planes as of Feb. 1, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration announced Monday.

The updated policy requires adult passengers without REAL ID or other accepted documentation, like passports, to pay $45 to be verified by the government’s new “Confirm. ID” program.

The TSA began enforcing a law requiring travelers to show REAL ID when flying domestically on May 7. However, there was some wiggle room for people without the proper identification who had to undergo additional screening.

Now, “beginning Feb. 1, travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID at our security checkpoints and still want to fly can pay a $45 fee and undergo the TSA Confirm. ID process,” said Adam Stahl, acting deputy administrator.

“This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer,” he noted. The Confirm. ID travel period lasts for 10 days.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said he is taking measures to help travelers who can least afford fees.

“With costs rising across the board, Illinoisans shouldn’t have to pay a $45 penalty just to get on a plane, especially when that fee is higher than some flights themselves,” Giannoulias said.

Those measures include extending the lease on a REAL ID walk-in facility in downtown Chicago through the end of 2026. Meanwhile REAL ID services are available at DMVs throughout the state.

Giannoulias is also partnering with Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon to assist customers obtain documents required for REAL ID such as birth certificates and marriage licenses.

Cashiers will be designated to assist Cook residents seeking REAL ID documents and an appointment system will be established as well as a telephone hotline.

“We’re doing everything possible to remove barriers, save people time and make getting a REAL ID simple and stress-free. With a REAL ID in your wallet, you avoid TSA’s penalty entirely and skip a massive travel headache,” Giannoulias said.

About 94% of flyers already use REAL ID, passports or other permitted documentation, the TSA said.

“The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights,” Stahl said in a statement.

Passengers without REAL ID will be able to pay $45 and undergo confirmation before going to the airport, officials said. Those who arrive without accepted ID will be directed to marked Confirm. ID locations near checkpoints.

A TSA link to Confirm. ID was not active as of Tuesday morning. The agency said it is working with the private sector on online payment options and noted the process “will differ airport to airport.”

Other acceptable forms of identification for U.S. residents are trusted traveler cards like Global Entry, permanent resident cards, and U.S. Department of Defense IDs. Individuals in the U.S. from another country can present passports.

For a complete list, visit tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.

Illinoisans seeking REAL IDs, can find out what documents are required at realid.ilsos.gov or call (800) 252-8980.