TSA to end REAL ID grace period; $45 fee starts in February
No REAL ID? TSA to charge travelers $45
The Transportation Security Administration is ending its grace period for the REAL ID deadline. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has more on a new fee & verification system.
PHOENIX - The Transportation Security Administration is ending its grace period for the REAL ID deadline.
Starting in February, travelers who do not present a compliant ID at airport security checkpoints will face a $45 fee.
What we know:
The fee does not guarantee passage through security. Travelers who lack the REAL ID will be processed through the TSA's alternative Confirm.ID system.
This verification process is separate and can take up to 30 minutes, potentially delaying or derailing travel plans if a traveler is denied.
For months after the deadline, people put off getting the new ID because they could still get an extra screening through the TSA, which often caused lines to slow down, especially around the holidays. The agency says those days are over.
"I think it's idiotic that they would be charged," one traveler said.
Another traveler offered a differing view: "Well, I guess you've got to force compliance somehow, some way, because most people don't want to go to the DMV."
Some travelers view the fee as another "money grab."
"People are getting nickel and dimed everywhere, and I don't think it's fair to them because they want to be able to travel," a traveler said.
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Acceptable alternatives to the REAL ID include a passport, Global Entry cards, Permanent Resident Cards, Military IDs, or photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations.
Travelers can pay the $45 nonrefundable fee before arriving at the airport to avoid the potential 30-minute processing delay, but TSA says clearance through the Confirm.ID system is only valid for 10 days.
There is still no word on whether the TSA will set up a separate line for people waiting to be verified.