From February 1, travelers without a Real ID or valid ID must pay a $45 fee for identity verification, United States Department of State Consular Affairs said.
Starting February 1, passengers in the United States who do not have a ‘Real ID’ or any acceptable form of identity card like a passport will have to pay a fee of $45 to verify their identity through Transportation Security Administration ConfirmID, the United States Department of State Consular Affairs said on Wednesday.
The department made this announcement on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, adding that a passport card which costs about $30 or a passport book are both accepted REAL ID alternatives for domestic air travel and can help passengers avoid paying the $45 fee.
Reminder: Starting February 1, if you don’t have a REAL ID or acceptable form of ID (like a passport!) for domestic flights, you may pay a $45 fee to verify your identity through @TSA ConfirmID. A passport card ($30) or passport book are both accepted REAL ID alternatives for… pic.twitter.com/p0ZzrXy51Z
— TravelGov (@TravelGov) January 28, 2026
What is Real ID?
Real ID refers to both documents, the United States passport card and the United States passport book.
However, the announcement specified that for those opting for international air travel, a passport card cannot be used as a valid identity and that only a passport book can be used for this purpose.
How is a passport card and book different?
The United States passport card is a small, easily portable plastic passport that can fit inside a wallet which has no visa pages.
According to the US Department of State website, the card is proof of US citizenship and identity, and has the same length of validity as the passport book.
The card is used for citizens of the United States who travel by land and sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and some Caribbean countries.
Although cheaper than the passport book, the card stands invalid for passengers who opt for international travel by air.
A United States passport book permits international travel by land, sea and air and is a little bigger than the passport book.
The two identity cards are approved documents for domestic air travel.
Passengers can apply for both, a passport book and passport card, at the same time using the same application at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/apply-in-person.html.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
