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ORLANDO, Fla. - Air travelers who have put off upgrading to a REAL ID are about to face a new consequence at airport security.
Federal officials say a new fee is meant to push the remaining holdouts to comply after years of warnings and delays.
What we know:
Beginning Feb. 1, U.S. travelers 18 and older who fly domestically without a REAL ID — and without another acceptable form of identification such as a passport — will be charged a $45, non-refundable fee at airport security.
The Transportation Security Administration says the fee applies to passengers who must use its alternative identity verification process, known as Confirm.ID. Officials caution that paying the fee does not guarantee approval, and travelers whose identities cannot be verified may be denied access to the secure area. If verification is approved, it is valid for a 10-day travel period.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear how often travelers will fail the Confirm.ID verification after paying the fee or how many passengers are expected to be turned away once enforcement begins.
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TSA officials have also not said whether the fee could increase again in the future or how quickly screening lines could be affected at busy airports if large numbers of travelers attempt last-minute verification.
Timeline:
REAL ID is a federally compliant driver’s license or identification card created in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Congress mandated tougher identity standards for state-issued IDs, though implementation has been repeatedly delayed since its originally planned rollout in 2008. Florida began issuing REAL ID compliant credentials after January 1, 2010.
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Although REAL ID has been required since May, TSA had allowed travelers without one to pass through security with additional screening and a warning. That grace period ends Feb. 1, when the new fee takes effect.
Do I have a REAL ID?
Big picture view:
In Florida, the new credentials have a star in the upper right corner of the card, as shown in the sample license example below. Florida is a REAL ID compliant state and all Florida licenses should be accepted nationwide.
What you can do:
Travelers may pay online before arriving at the airport or at the airport itself before entering the security line, though TSA says the process could take up to 30 minutes.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Transportation Security Administration, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and reporting by the Associated Press.