Planning to travel through DFW International Airport or Dallas Love Field without a REAL ID? You could pay a $45 fee, according to a new rule being introduced by the Transportation Security Administration next year.
Starting Feb. 1, travelers who do not present acceptable identification and still want to fly will be given an option to pay the fee to use “TSA Confirm.ID”, an alternative identification system, the TSA said. The service would cover a 10-day travel period, the agency said.
The addition of the service could make for chaotic security traffic at DFW and Love Field, which are dominated by American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, respectively. About 100 million travelers pass through North Texas airports each year.
The new rule mandates that travelers without acceptable identification, including a non-REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID, be referred to the TSA Confirm.ID process prior to entering the security line, the agency said. The TSA said it is working with a private industry to offer online payment options for travelers before they arrive at the airport.
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The introduction of the fee appears to be a way for the TSA to convince all travelers to be compliant with REAL ID rules, which went into effect in May. Congress passed the REAL ID act in 2005 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks but enforcement of the law was held up by delays and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Besides a REAL ID, there are more than a dozen other acceptable forms of identification travelers can use to avoid paying the fee. The TSA said more than 94% of passengers already use a REAL ID or acceptable form of identification.
For travelers who arrive at the airport without paying the fee, information on how to pay will be available at “marked locations at or near the checkpoint in most airports,” the TSA said. However, it warned that people who undergo the process at the airport can expect delays.
“This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer,” said a statement from Adam Stahl, a senior official performing the duties of deputy administrator for the TSA. “The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights.”