The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on October 26, 2023, a proposal to charge adults flying within the United States an $18 fee if they do not possess a REAL ID. This fee aims to support the implementation of advanced technology to verify travelers’ identities when they fail to present acceptable forms of identification, which also include passports, passport cards, or military identification.
The proposal emerged through a notice posted by the TSA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the agency. The specifics of the “modernized alternative identity verification program” remain unclear, but TSA indicated that it would utilize “biographic and/or biometric information” for confirming identities. This may involve the use of facial recognition technology, which the TSA has been testing in various settings.
Travelers who pay the fee will not be required to pay it again within a subsequent ten-day period while traveling through security. Nonetheless, TSA officials stated that they could deny boarding to passengers who repeatedly fail to provide acceptable identification.
In Oregon, a REAL ID costs $30, in addition to the standard license fee, which is $64 for first-time applicants and $54 for renewals. This means that travelers could quickly recoup their costs after just two instances of incurring the $18 fee.
TSA has not disclosed when the $18 fee will take effect, indicating that details will be available on its website, www.tsa.gov. A TSA spokesperson mentioned, “Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
The proposal has sparked mixed reactions among the flying public. Some view the fee as excessive and a potential money grab, while others argue that travelers have had ample time to secure a REAL ID. The REAL ID requirements were established by Congress in 2005 as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, with an initial implementation date set for 2008. However, delays have pushed back enforcement.
Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is reported to have initiated the ID requirements in May 2025, although the actual enforcement has not aligned with that timeline. According to TSA, many travelers still pass through security without REAL IDs or other acceptable identification.
“If travelers do not have an ID compliant with REAL ID requirements, TSA may require them to submit to additional screening measures,” stated Molly Prescott, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which operates PDX. Prescott also noted that the airport does not track how many travelers arrive without acceptable identification. Nationally, approximately 94% of air travelers carry proper identification.
“This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance,” remarked the TSA spokesperson. Importantly, children traveling within the U.S. are not required to show identification and would not be subject to the proposed fee.