Don’t have your REAL ID? $45 TSA screening fee starts Sunday

Want to get away? Don't have REAL ID or a passport? That’s likely to cost an extra $45 if you want to board a plane at O'Hare or any U.S. airport Sunday when a federal fee for domestic flights begins.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration characterized the payment to its new ConfirmID program as a choice for adult travelers without acceptable identification who could otherwise not be allowed through security.

“This fee ensures that noncompliant travelers, not taxpayers, cover the cost of processing travelers without acceptable IDs,” TSA Senior Official Adam Stahl said in a statement.

“To avoid delays or missed flights, all travelers should obtain a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification before heading to the airport.”

The ConfirmID process is only available online.

“It generates a receipt, and the receipt is what you show TSA officers at the checkpoint,” TSA regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle said. “Officers can't accept any payment in person.”

Additional information includes:

• According to the TSA, travelers who use ConfirmID “will be subject to additional ID verification, screening measures and potential delays.”

Officials noted, “It is important that airline travelers plan ahead to ensure they have an acceptable form of ID to avoid these additional delays as the process can take up to 30 minutes.”

• Children under age 18 do not need identification for domestic flights unless they are traveling unaccompanied.

• Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias expanded REAL ID services at DMVs through Saturday, Jan. 31, at certain locations to accommodate demand.

The REAL ID walk-in supercenter downtown, at 191 N. Clark St., will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Also, 500 more REAL ID appointments will be added this Saturday at 15 DMVs across the state.

• Compliance with REAL ID was at 29% in January 2025 but is currently about 44%, state officials said. Last year, Illinois’ total of REAL IDs issued surpassed 5 million.

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

• The law requiring travelers to show REAL ID when flying domestically was passed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It went into effect after multiple delays on May 7, 2025.

However, there was some wiggle room for individuals without proper identification who had to undergo additional screening.

To learn more, visit tsa.gov/tsaconfirm-id.