REAL ID required for US domestic flights

Travellers in the US boarding a domestic flight are required to have a REAL ID or face $45 fee from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In 2025, the organisation began enforcing its requirements for it, later proposing a fee for travellers who haven’t obtained one.

Now it has confirmed the rollout of ConfirmID, a process that it says will streamline identification check and fee payments for those who don’t have one. Travellers are able to put their details online and pay the $45 fee to streamline the otherwise lengthy compliance process at the airport.

The REAL ID act was originally passed by Congress all the way back in 2005, following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission that the federal government improve security standards for identification.

“We rolled out REAL ID in May of 2025,” Steve Lorincz, deputy executive assistant administrator of TSA told CNN. “About 94% of the population, or the passengers that transit through a TSA checkpoint today, have a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or an acceptable form of ID, like a passport. So that leaves us about 6%,” Lorincz said.

The 6% are still able to obtain the ID but for those who haven’t, TSA ConfirmID is an online system where they can input their name and travel start date, as well as pay a $45 fee.

“Once they pay that $45 fee, they will get a receipt. They will bring that receipt to a TSA checkpoint,” Lorincz said, where a TSA agent will use that receipt, plus a government ID, to process the traveller through the security checkpoint.

Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.

Follow us on:

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!

We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!