Registry of Motor Vehicles on Middlesex Street; Lowell, MA; 2011-09-03 · Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 3.0 · edited
Forget your REAL ID and you are no longer simply turned away at airport security. You can pay 45 dollars for a chance to get through, and it is only a chance.
TSA states that a traveler unable to provide acceptable ID, such as a passport or REAL ID, can pay a 45 dollar fee to use TSA ConfirmID, after which TSA will attempt to verify their identity. It adds plainly that there is no guarantee TSA can do so.
- 45 dollars: the ConfirmID fee, for travel on or after February 1.
- Pay.gov only: the single payment route TSA accepts.
- 10 days: how long a payment stays valid from the travel date entered.
- Per adult: each traveler 18 or older without ID pays separately.
A Fee for an Attempt, Not a Pass
This is the part to understand before paying. The 45 dollars buys an identity verification attempt at the checkpoint, and TSA is explicit that the attempt may fail.
Using ConfirmID is optional. TSA’s own warning is that a traveler who declines it and has no acceptable ID may not be allowed through security and may miss the flight. Fraud or other criminal activity in the process is handled under federal penalties.
How the Payment Actually Works
Payment goes through Pay.gov and nowhere else. The form asks for the traveler’s legal name, a travel start date, and a payment method, which can be a bank account, debit card, credit card, Venmo or PayPal.
Someone other than the traveler can pay, and the name on the card does not have to match. What must be exact is the traveler’s own name and the travel start date, because the payment is tied to both.
The 10 Day Window and Why the Date Matters
The payment is valid for 10 days from the travel start date you enter, not from the day you pay. Enter the wrong date and a correctly paid fee can expire before the return leg.
A round trip longer than 10 days therefore needs thinking about. TSA’s wording ties validity to the date on the receipt, so a traveler away for two weeks without acceptable ID should expect the outbound payment not to cover the flight home.
What to Show at the Checkpoint
Once the payment clears, Pay.gov sends a confirmation email. TSA says to keep it as proof, and to screenshot or print the receipt so it can be shown to an officer to begin verification.
Every adult in the party without acceptable ID completes the process separately. A family of four adults with no valid ID between them is 180 dollars, before anyone has been verified.
The Cheaper Fix Is Still the Document
The Department of Homeland Security notes that REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, and ConfirmID exists for the traveler who reaches the airport without a compliant document. It is a fallback, and an uncertain one.
A passport satisfies the requirement, as do other listed documents. Our guide to whether an expired passport works as ID covers the edge case that catches people most often, and whether you need a passport to fly within the US covers what counts on a domestic trip.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Have a REAL ID or passport | Bring it. ConfirmID does not apply to you. |
| Realize at home you have no valid ID | Pay the 45 dollars on Pay.gov before leaving, and enter the travel date exactly. |
| Are away longer than 10 days | Expect the payment not to cover the return. Check the receipt date. |
| Are paying for someone else | You can. Their name must be exact; your card name does not need to match. |
| Are traveling as several adults without ID | Each adult pays and verifies separately. |
45 dollars buys an attempt. TSA says there is no guarantee it can verify you.
The clock starts on the travel date. Validity runs 10 days from the date you enter.
Pay.gov is the only route. Anything else asking for the fee is not TSA.
How much is TSA ConfirmID?
45 dollars, for travelers without a REAL ID or other acceptable ID on travel from February 1.
Does paying guarantee I get through security?
No. TSA will attempt to verify your identity and states there is no guarantee it can.
Where do I pay?
Only through Pay.gov, by bank account, debit card, credit card, Venmo or PayPal.
How long is the payment valid?
10 days from the travel start date entered on the payment, as shown on the receipt.
Can someone else pay for me?
Yes. The payer’s card name does not have to match, but the traveler’s legal name must be entered correctly.
What do I show at the checkpoint?
A printed or electronic copy of the Pay.gov confirmation receipt, shown to a TSA officer to begin verification.
