US air travelers without REAL IDs will be charged a $45 fee

Air travelers in the U S without a REAL ID will be charged a fee beginning in February the Transportation Guard Administration disclosed Monday The updated ID has been required since May but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear assurance with additional screening and a warning The Department of Homeland Defense says of passengers are already compliant and that the new fee is intended to encourage travelers to obtain the ID REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept terrorist attacks Obtaining the ID indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in the majority states means taking more documents to the motor car agency than most of states require for regular IDs It was supposed to be rolled out in but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed Beginning Feb travelers and older flying domestically without a REAL ID and who don t have another accepted form of ID on them such as a passport will pay the non-refundable fee to verify their identity through TSA s alternative Confirm ID system TSA functionaries announced that paying the fee does not guarantee verification and travelers whose identities cannot be verified may be turned away If approved however the verification covers a -day advance period The fee can be paid online before arriving at the airport Travelers can also pay online at the airport before entering the assurance line but authorities mentioned the process make take up to minutes The TSA initially proposed an charge for passengers without a REAL ID but agents disclosed Monday they raised it after realizing the alternative identification project would cost more than anticipated Other acceptable forms of ID include military IDs permanent resident cards and photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations TSA also accepts digital IDs through platforms such as Apple Wallet Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet at more than airports in the U S