Just a short 20 years after Congress passed the Real ID Act, which codified the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation of higher security standards for personal identification, there might soon be immediate financial consequences for not having a Real ID driver’s license or non-driver's document when trying to board a commercial airplane.
Seriously. No kidding this time…at least that’s what the Transportation Security Administration wants to happen.
For the 19% of people who arrived at airport security checkpoints in 2025 with neither a passport nor a Real ID license—even though the deadline to obtain a Real ID license was pushed back several times over two decades until it was finally set as May 7, 2025—what might those consequences be?
Well, if the TSA gets federal approval, noncompliant passengers will have to stop at a biometric kiosk before getting to a checkpoint, then pay an $18 fee to cover the cost associated with new technology needed to verify their identity, said the TSA in a November 20 public notice.
From there, “TSA will use the individual’s biographic and/or biometric information to verify identity and match the individual to their Secure Flight watchlist result. …Individuals also may be subject to additional screening or experience delays.”
However, this is a proposed rule and has not been implemented yet. The TSA’s notice is only the next step in a process that will now offer a public comment period. In the meantime, the TSA stated that “additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
Again, passports are an acceptable form of identification at security checkpoints for both domestic and international air travel. But for those who don’t have a Real ID license after 20 years: Perhaps it’s finally time to get one.
