About 6 percent of U.S. air travelers still are not displaying identifications that meet stricter federal standards such as the REAL ID, said a senior official at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Jan. 21.
From Feb. 1 onward, passengers without enhanced identification or other acceptable forms of ID will be charged $45 to use the optional alternative identity verification system, TSA ConfirmID, for accessing flights. The agency noted that ConfirmID is an attempt to verify identity, but it’s not a guarantee. If the attempt fails, the passenger will not be allowed through security and may miss the flight.
