As of May 7th, 2025, anyone flying in the United States is required to provide a REAL ID as part of the check-in process before boarding their flight, if not using a passport. REAL IDs are state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the federal REAL ID security standards.
©AP
Previously, passengers without a REAL ID or a passport were required to go through additional screening to fly. But, a new rule has been proposed that would add a fee for travelers without a REAL ID.
ABC News has reported that airline passengers without a REAL ID or passport could face an $18 fee as part of a new rule proposed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Under the potential new rule, travelers without the required identification will have their identity verified on a new biometric kiosk system before they’re allowed to go through the checkpoint.
TSA lines at MCO
The $18 fee would be valid for 10 days and would be used to help offset the costs of the new biometric technology, according to the notice. As of now, there’s no word on when the new system or $18 fee will be rolled out.
The proposed new rule was published in the Federal Register, which is now open for public comment.
TSA PreCheck Touchless Identity Solution
The REAL ID law was enacted based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission that the government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The Act established “minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards.”
MCO Airport
A TSA spokesperson told ABC News, “This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary [Kristi] Noem as of May 2025. TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints. Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
St. Louis Lambert Airport
Essentially, if a traveler goes to a TSA checkpoint without a REAL ID or passport, TSA would use a “modernized alternative identity verification program” — the biometrics mentioned earlier — to verify the traveler’s identity, according to the notice.
Travelers might still face additional security screening if using an alternate form of ID, however. TSA said the new system to verify identity will “help reduce time and streamline the process.”
Orlando International Airport
We’ll be on the lookout for more updates about this potential new fee — like whether it comes to fruition and when. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest travel and Disney news!
I Can’t Believe I Made It Through TSA With This
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I, the “King of Procrastination,” got my Real ID in 2017 when TSA said it would be coming soon, despite TSA being the “boy who cried Real ID wolf” year after year. I kept my Real ID when I renewed my license in 2025 (8 years later). Everyone’s had more than adequate time to get their Real ID so there are very few excuses for not having one. I think the $18 fee is a bargain. It should be at least $50 to $100 for the first 2 TSA screenings without having Real ID and for the third and subsequent TSA screenings, prohibited from the flight until a Real ID is obtained.