Travelers without a REAL ID are about to be hit with a TSA fee

Travelers without a REAL ID will soon have a new option to verify their identity at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints — but it comes with a price tag. 

The rollout comes less than one year after the May 7, 2025, REAL ID deadline, which mandated the use of REAL ID-compliant licenses, or other acceptable forms of identification, at airport security checkpoints.

Starting Feb. 1, the TSA is rolling out its new modernized TSA ConfirmID, giving travelers without REAL...