A few weeks ago, the Transportation Security Admnistration announced in the Federal Register that it would be setting up a verification program for passengers who show up at the TSA checkpoint without a Real ID, passport or some other acceptable form of identification.

To cover the costs of the alt-ID program, which is set to roll out on February 1, 2026, the agency said it would charge passengers an $18 fee for the service. The fee will non-refundable, even if verification is unsuccessful.

Now, just a few weeks after announcing the program, TSA says it will be not be charging an $18 fee for the TSA Confirm.ID program, afterall.

Instead it will more than double the charge to $45, which will be good for a 10-day period.

According to a TSA statement there will be an option to pay the fee online before arriving at the airport, but the procedure for the alternative verification program may be different at each airport.

For passengers who arrive at the airport without paying the fee ahead of time, TSA says there will posted information at or near the checkpoints about how to pay the fee, but warns that however they pay, “travelers who undergo TSA Confirm.ID processing at an airport should expect delays.”

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