{"id":158281,"date":"2026-01-31T19:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T19:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/158281\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T19:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T19:15:07","slug":"tsa-to-charge-california-fliers-45-for-without-real-id-on-feb-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/158281\/","title":{"rendered":"TSA to charge California fliers $45 for without REAL ID on Feb. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Airport security has undergone several changes<\/a> in the last year \u2014 from keeping your shoes on to new restrictions on what you can pack in checked bags. Now, TSA is rolling out another major shift, and this one may hit California travelers in the wallet.<\/p>\n

Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, TSA will charge a\u00a0$45 identity\u2011verification fee\u00a0for travelers who arrive at airport security without a REAL ID, passport, or another approved ID. The fee is part of TSA\u2019s push to tighten identity screening ahead of the long-delayed national REAL ID enforcement deadline.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what this means for California flyers \u2014 and how to avoid paying the fee altogether.<\/p>\n

TSA may charge $45 to get through security without Real ID, passport<\/p>\n

TSA first floated a lower $18 fee in late 2025, but the agency later updated its policy: the cost to have TSA verify your identity at the checkpoint will now be $45 per traveler, effective Feb. 1.<\/p>\n

Under the rule, travelers who arrive without the required ID will undergo TSA\u2019s manual identity\u2011verification process. According to TSA and ABC News, the fee covers the additional screening time, staffing, and digital verification systems required to confirm someone\u2019s identity on the spot.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no guarantee TSA will be able to verify a traveler\u2019s identity \u2014 meaning you could still be denied boarding, even after paying the fee.<\/p>\n

How to pay the $45 fee ahead of time through TSA\u2019s ConfirmID portal<\/p>\n

Californians who already know they\u2019ll be traveling without an approved ID can pre\u2011pay the $45 through TSA ConfirmID<\/a>, an online portal designed to speed up the identity check at the airport.<\/p>\n

How ConfirmID works:<\/p>\n

Pay the $45 identity\u2011verification fee online before your trip.<\/p>\n

The payment is valid for 10 days, so frequent travelers won\u2019t have to pay twice if flying again within that window.<\/p>\n

Bring a copy of your ConfirmID receipt.<\/p>\n

Present your non\u2011compliant ID (such as a standard California driver’s license) along with proof of payment at the TSA checkpoint.<\/p>\n

Even with pre\u2011payment, TSA still warns that identity verification is not guaranteed.<\/p>\n

How to get a REAL ID in California<\/p>\n

California is one of the nation\u2019s busiest air\u2011travel states, and after years of federal delays, the REAL ID deadline finally went into effect <\/a>on May 7, 2025. Starting then, you will need a REAL ID (or passport) to board domestic flights.<\/p>\n

More than 18.6 million Californians already have a REAL ID as of Feb. 1, according to the DMV. Here\u2019s how to get yours.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Start the application online<\/p>\n

Visit REALID.dmv.ca.gov t<\/a>o begin the process.You\u2019ll:<\/p>\n

Complete the online application<\/p>\n

Upload required documents<\/p>\n

Choose a DMV office for your in\u2011person visit<\/p>\n

Starting online should cut your DMV visit to around 15 minutes, according to the agency.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Bring your required documents to the DMV<\/p>\n

You must bring originals (no photocopies):<\/p>\n

Proof of Identity (one of these)<\/p>\n

Proof you live in California (two of these)<\/p>\n

Proof of Social Security number(Some exceptions apply; details are on the DMV site.)<\/p>\n

Step 3: Look for the Bear and Star<\/p>\n

REAL IDs in California feature a golden bear with a star in the upper right corner. If your license doesn\u2019t have this symbol, it\u2019s not REAL ID\u2011compliant.<\/p>\n

Want to avoid the $45 Fee? These IDs will work at TSA<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have a REAL ID but want to skip the fee entirely, TSA accepts several documents:<\/p>\n

Enhanced Driver\u2019s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID<\/p>\n

A temporary California driver\u2019s license is not accepted for air travel.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: What Californians need to know about TSA\u2019s $45 fee for travelers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Airport security has undergone several changes in the last year \u2014 from keeping your shoes on to new…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":158282,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,77237,37320,5173],"class_list":["post-158281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-identity-verification","tag-real-id","tag-tsa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/158282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}