TSA Demands $45 To Prove You Aren't Secretly a Spy Without a Real ID

KEY POINTS

•The TSA announced on Monday travelers without Real IDs will face a $45 fee starting Feb. 1, 2026.
•This new charge pays for a 10-30 minute additional biometric screening and lasts only 10 days before renewed fees.
•An estimated 6% of travelers will pay this fee, while 94% already comply with TSA ID standards.
•A senior TSA official stated you won't reach security if your identity isn’t confirmed through these measures.

Starting February 1, 2026, the TSA will charge a whopping $45 for travelers rocking anything less than the elite Real ID. That’s more than double the fee they teased earlier—because who doesn't want surprise airfare taxes named after biometrics? This fee covers an extra 10-30 minute biometric screening, payable online or in-person, lasting exactly 10 days before you’re charged again—think Netflix for distrustful feds. Only around 6% of flyers will need their wallets raided this way, while the other 94% smugly flash their Real IDs or passports. A TSA bigwig warned: 'No confirmed identity, no airport'—because apparently biometrics are now passport control’s overbearing little cousin.