Airport security in the United States is about to change again, and this time the shift is aimed squarely at travelers who still are not ready for REAL ID. The Transportation Security Administration is advancing a new identity verification program that would let people without compliant IDs keep flying, but only if they pay an extra fee and submit to additional checks.
The move comes as the long delayed REAL ID enforcement deadline finally approaches, raising the stakes for millions of Americans who still rely on standard driver’s licenses or older identification cards. What looks like a technical rulemaking is, in practice, a new fork in the road at the checkpoint: upgrade your ID in advance, or pay more and face a different screening experience at the airport.
REAL ID’s hard deadline is finally closing in
After years of postponements, the federal government is now treating the next phase of REAL ID as a firm line in the sand for domestic air travel. The Department of Defense has warned its community that REAL ID compliant identification will be required for U.S. air travelers beginning May 7, 2025, a date that has become the anchor for airlines, airports and state motor vehicle agencies racing to catch up with the law’s security standards. That deadline means a standard state license without the required security features will no longer be enough to clear a TSA checkpoint for a commercial flight, even if it is otherwise valid for driving.
REAL ID itself is not new, but the enforcement moment is. The program, created after the September 11 attacks, sets minimum security requirements for state issued IDs, including document verification, data sharing and tamper resistant card design. TSA’s own guidance explains that only cards marked as compliant, along with passports and a short list of other documents, will be accepted for boarding once the rule is in full effect, a shift that will catch out anyone who has not upgraded in time. For travelers who have grown used to flashing whatever license is in their wallet, the combination of a fixed date and stricter document rules is about to become very real at the front of the security line.
What TSA’s new “modernized” identity option would actually do
To avoid turning that deadline into a hard stop for unprepared travelers, TSA is moving ahead with a separate track for people who show up without REAL ID compliant documents. In a notice filed in the Federal Register, the agency outlined a “Modernized Alternative Identity Verification” program that would allow passengers to verify who they are through additional screening steps instead of being turned away outright. The proposal describes a structured process, built around identity proofing and database checks, that would sit alongside the standard document inspection at the podium.
The key change is that this alternative is not meant to be a free courtesy. TSA’s filing spells out a dedicated user fee for each traveler who uses the modernized verification route, framing it as a way to recover the cost of extra staff time, technology and data services needed to vet someone without a compliant ID. In other words, the agency is signaling that the days of ad hoc, no cost identity troubleshooting at the checkpoint are ending, replaced by a formal program with a price tag for those who rely on it instead of upgrading their identification in advance.
The proposed $18 fee and how it would work at the checkpoint
The most attention grabbing detail in the new plan is the amount TSA wants to charge. Reporting on the proposal describes an $18 fee for each use of the alternative identity verification program, meaning a traveler who forgets a REAL ID compliant license or never obtained one could expect to pay that sum on top of their airfare to get through security. The fee would apply per screening event, not per year, so a round trip with two separate checkpoint visits could double the cost for someone who relies on the backup process both ways.
Coverage of the rulemaking underscores that this is not a hypothetical number floated in a think tank paper, but a concrete figure TSA is actively seeking to write into regulation. Outlets that have walked through the draft rule note that the $18 charge is designed to offset the expense of verifying identity through databases and additional officer time, rather than through a quick glance at a compliant card. For travelers, the practical effect is simple: show up without a REAL ID compliant document and you will be offered a choice between paying the fee for extra vetting or not flying at all.
Why TSA says it needs a new fee on top of existing charges
For many passengers, the idea of yet another security related fee will feel familiar, because they already see a “September 11th Security Fee” line on their airline receipts. That existing charge, which is collected on every ticket, helps fund TSA’s core operations and is separate from the new proposal tied specifically to alternative identity checks. Reporting on the agency’s latest move explains that the modernized verification fee would sit alongside the current security surcharge, not replace it, effectively creating a layered system of charges that reflect different parts of the screening process.
In its public filings, TSA argues that the new fee is necessary because the alternative identity program involves extra steps that go beyond the baseline screening funded by the broader security charge. The agency points to the cost of specialized staff, access to identity databases and the need to maintain secure systems that can validate a traveler without a compliant document, all of which it says should be paid for by the people who use that service. Critics, however, see a pattern in which security related fees keep expanding, and they warn that tying a specific dollar amount to a traveler’s documentation status risks turning a compliance problem into a recurring revenue stream.
How this intersects with REAL ID compliance and state level gaps
The new program only makes sense in the context of how many people are still not ready for REAL ID, and how uneven compliance remains across the country. TSA’s own REAL ID information hub stresses that travelers will need a compliant license or other acceptable document to fly once enforcement begins, but it also acknowledges that states are at different stages of issuing upgraded cards. Some motor vehicle departments have been pushing residents to swap their licenses for years, while others have struggled with backlogs, staffing and public awareness.
Local reporting has highlighted how these gaps could play out at the checkpoint. In California, for example, coverage has warned that travelers who assume their existing license is enough could face last minute problems at airports once TSA tightens its document checks, especially if they have not paid attention to whether their card is marked as REAL ID compliant. Similar stories in other regions describe state officials urging residents to book DMV appointments now rather than waiting until the spring, a sign that the pipeline for compliant IDs is still catching up to the looming federal deadline.
Who will feel the impact first: occasional fliers or frequent travelers?
The burden of the new fee is unlikely to fall evenly across the flying public. Frequent travelers, especially those who already hold passports, military IDs or trusted traveler cards like Global Entry, are more likely to have at least one document that meets REAL ID standards and can be used at the checkpoint without triggering the alternative verification process. Occasional fliers, by contrast, are more likely to rely on a single state license that may or may not be compliant, and they are the ones most at risk of discovering the problem only when they reach the front of the line.
Coverage of the proposal has emphasized that the $18 charge would be assessed per use, which means it could quickly become an unwelcome surprise for families traveling together if several members lack compliant IDs. A parent who upgraded their license might sail through, while a teenager with an older card or a grandparent who never renewed could each face the fee and extra screening. That dynamic has prompted some consumer advocates to argue that the rule effectively penalizes people who live in states that were slower to roll out REAL ID compliant cards, or who face longer waits and higher costs to obtain them.
Public reaction and political scrutiny are already building
Even before the rule is finalized, the idea of charging travelers extra at the checkpoint has sparked a wave of criticism and confusion. Social media posts from local news outlets have drawn hundreds of comments from people who see the proposal as a “pay to fly” scheme, with many arguing that security costs should be covered by existing taxes and ticket fees rather than a new charge tied to documentation status. In one widely shared post, a station summarized the rule as making travelers “pay extra to get through airport security,” a framing that resonated with viewers who already feel squeezed by baggage fees and fare add ons.
Television segments and online videos have also tried to unpack what the rule would mean in practice, walking viewers through scenarios in which they arrive at the airport without a compliant ID and are offered the alternative verification option. One explainer video broke down the proposed process step by step, from the initial document check to the additional questions and database searches that would follow if a traveler opts into the program and pays the fee. That kind of coverage is likely to intensify as the public comment period unfolds, giving lawmakers and advocacy groups more fodder to challenge or reshape the rule before it takes effect.
How TSA’s proposal fits into the broader security and travel landscape
Stepping back, the modernized identity verification program is part of a larger pattern in which TSA is trying to balance security mandates with the practical realities of air travel. The agency is under pressure to enforce REAL ID after years of delays, but it also knows that turning away every traveler who shows up with the wrong license would cause chaos at airports and invite political backlash. By creating a paid alternative, TSA is effectively building a pressure valve into the system, one that lets people keep flying while still nudging them toward compliance over time.
At the same time, the proposal raises uncomfortable questions about equity and access. An $18 fee may not sound like much in the context of a cross country ticket, but for lower income travelers or those who fly only occasionally, it can be a meaningful barrier, especially if it hits multiple members of a household on the same trip. The rule also assumes that everyone has equal ability to obtain a REAL ID compliant document before they travel, an assumption that does not always hold for people who lack easy access to DMV offices, underlying documents like birth certificates, or the time and money to navigate the process. As the comment period unfolds and the May 7, 2025 enforcement date draws closer, the debate over TSA’s new identity fee is likely to become a proxy for a larger conversation about how the United States funds and administers aviation security in the REAL ID era.
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