Travelers without a Real ID will face a $45 surcharge to board flights starting next month, which is double the fee that was originally projected by the Transportation Security Administration, writes Jason Lalljee for AXIOS.
The $45 fee provides coverage for ten days, after which travelers must pay it again.
The TSA “will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID,” said the agency.
The fee ensures that travelers, not taxpayers, will cover the cost of verifying an insufficient ID, according to Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA Adam Stahl.
While the fee can be paid at the airport, the TSA recommends paying online in advance.
Approximately 94 percent of travelers already have compliant IDs, leaving six percent to use the fee option.
“The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights,” said Stahl.
Read more about the new fee that will be set in place next month for airline travelers without a Real ID in AXIOS.
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