ORLANDO, Fla. – The Transportation Security Administration announced a new option for travelers who arrive at airport security checkpoints without a valid, acceptable form of identification.
Starting Feb.1, travelers going through security checkpoints without a REAL ID or passport will have to pay a $45 fee to use TSA Confirm.ID for a 10-day travel period. This alternative aims to help those who may have forgotten or lost their ID but still need to travel, according to a TSA news release.
The announcement comes after a proposed rule was published in the Federal Register last month, with the agency raising the fee from the initially proposed $18.
During the new process, the TSA would “use the individual’s biographic and/or biometric information to verify identity and match the individual to their Secure Flight watch list result,” the website states.
The TSA says the fee would cover costs tied to the new technology that’s needed to verify passengers’ identities before they can potentially gain access to the sterile area of an airport.
TSA is replacing the prior alternative identity verification process with a modernized alternative identity verification program that offers technology-enabled alternative for individuals who do not have an (acceptable form of identification) available to present at the (travel document checker). If an individual chooses to use the program and submit the required information, TSA will use the individual’s biographic and/or biometric information to verify identity and match the individual to their Secure Flight watch list result. TSA anticipates that this modernized program will increase efficiency for each individual by streamlining steps taken to verify an individual’s identity and substantially increase the number of individuals for whom TSA can provide alternative identity verification by leveraging technology to significantly expand program capacity.
TSA Modernized Alternative Identity Verification User Fee (excerpt)
TSA encourages all travelers to obtain a REAL ID by scheduling an appointment at their local Department of Motor Vehicles. Updating to a REAL ID-compliant identification will help avoid delays and additional fees at security checkpoints.
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