There’s a new option for fliers who don’t have a Real ID or other identification
Beginning Feb. 1, there will be a new option for those who do not have a Real ID to fly.
The Department of Homeland Security enforced the Real ID in May 2025 to tighten up security measures. This means all travelers through the airport must have a golden star in the top right corner of their driver’s license in order to fly domestically.
Currently, more than 94 percent of fliers use a Real ID to access security checkpoints, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
For those who do not have the Real ID, a passport or other acceptable form of identification, this new option from TSA will give the opportunity for them to still fly.
Alternative option for those without Real ID or passport
Fliers who do not have any forms of acceptable identification now have the option to pay a $45 ConfirmID fee. It should be noted that travelers with no ID will have a longer screening process.
The $45 ConfirmID verification lasts for a 10-day travel period.
Though there is a new solution, TSA still urges fliers to go to their local DMVs to update their ID as soon as possible.
The ConfirmID solution will begin on Feb 1.
How to pay TSA fee before arriving to airport
For those who know before they go to the airport that they do not have proper identification, TSA urges you to buy ConfirmID online ahead of time.
It only takes a few minutes to fill out the ConfirmID form, pay the $45 fee and get identification.
What are acceptable forms of identification at the airport?
For those who do not have a Real ID driver’s license, these forms of ID will still be accepted, according to the Transportation Security Administration:
- State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (marked with a flag instead of a star)
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including military IDs issued to dependents
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
- HSPD-12 PIV card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
- Transportation worker identification credential
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
- TSA does not require children 18 years or younger to show identification while traveling within the U.S.
How to get a Texas Real ID
You can apply for a new Real ID-compliant Texas driver’s license or ID in-person at a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) office. You may be eligible to renew your existing Texas driver’s license or ID online.
You can still use your current, unexpired Texas driver’s license or identification card to drive and for non-federal ID purposes. When it’s time to renew your driver’s license or identification card, you’ll get one that is Real ID-compliant.
To apply for a Texas driver’s license you’ll need,
- An original or certified copy of a birth certificate or an unexpired U.S. passport
- Social Security card
- Current Texas vehicle registration or title
- Current car insurance policy or car insurance statement
- If your name changed, you need legal documents showing proof of your name change from your birth name.
Why is the Real ID enforced?
The Real ID Act passed in 2005 in response to a 9/11 Commission recommendation. Twenty years later, the law was finally enforced.
The law establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards — including anti-counterfeiting technology, preventing insider fraud, and using documentary evidence and record checks to ensure a person is who they claim to be.
This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 1:41 PM.