Do you really need a REAL ID to fly?
Not exactly. Since May 7, 2025, adults need a REAL ID or another accepted ID, like a passport, at airport security. Without one, TSA now charges $45 to verify you another way.
Quick Answer
As of September 2026, travelers 18 and older on U.S. domestic flights need a REAL ID-compliant license or another ID that TSA accepts. TSA began enforcing the rule on May 7, 2025. You can spot a REAL ID by the star marking in the upper part of the card. Plenty of other IDs work too, including a U.S. passport or passport card, a Global Entry or other trusted traveler card, and a military ID. Since February 1, 2026, travelers without any acceptable ID can pay $45 for TSA ConfirmID, an identity check that covers 10 days of travel. It isn’t guaranteed to work and can mean extra screening and delays, so allow extra time. TSA doesn’t require children under 18 to show ID on domestic flights. The rule traces back to the REAL ID Act of 2005, which carried out a 9/11 Commission recommendation to set national standards for IDs.
By the Numbers
Key Facts
- Who needs it
- Travelers 18 and older on U.S. domestic flights
- Enforced since
- May 7, 2025
- Alternatives
- A U.S. passport or passport card, trusted traveler cards, military IDs and others on TSA’s list
- No acceptable ID?
- Pay $45 for TSA ConfirmID, which covers 10 days of travel
Timeline
- 2005
Congress passes the REAL ID Act, carrying out a 9/11 Commission recommendation.
- 2008
The Department of Homeland Security issues the REAL ID regulations.
- May 7, 2025
After years of delays, TSA begins enforcing REAL ID at airport checkpoints.
- Feb. 1, 2026
TSA ConfirmID launches: a $45 option for travelers without an acceptable ID.
At the checkpoint: which ID works?
- Look for the star
A REAL ID-compliant license has a star marking in the upper part of the card. If yours has one, you’re set.
- No star? Bring another accepted ID
A U.S. passport or passport card, a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI card, or a military ID all work. TSA publishes the full list.
- No acceptable ID at all?
You can pay $45 for TSA ConfirmID. It covers 10 days of travel, but it isn’t guaranteed, so allow extra time for screening.
- Traveling with kids?
TSA doesn’t require children under 18 to show ID on domestic flights.
What a REAL ID is
A REAL ID is a state driver’s license or ID card that meets federal security standards, including how it’s made and how the documents you use to get it are checked.
Why it exists
After the September 11 attacks, the 9/11 Commission recommended that the federal government set standards for identification documents like driver’s licenses. Congress wrote that into the REAL ID Act in 2005, but full enforcement at airports was repeatedly delayed until May 2025.
If your ID isn’t compliant
Since February 2026, TSA ConfirmID lets travelers without an acceptable ID pay $45 online to verify their identity another way. One verification covers 10 days of travel, and TSA warns of extra screening and possible delays, and says it can’t guarantee it will be able to verify your identity, so allow extra time.
Myth vs. Fact
MythYou can’t fly without a REAL ID.
FactA passport and other TSA-accepted IDs still work, and since 2026 travelers without any accepted ID can pay $45 for ConfirmID.
MythKids need a REAL ID too.
FactTSA doesn’t require children under 18 to show ID on domestic flights.
The Bottom Line
You don’t strictly need a REAL ID to fly, but you do need an ID TSA accepts, and a REAL ID-compliant license is the easiest one. Without it, bring a passport or expect to pay $45 for ConfirmID, which isn’t guaranteed to work.