ConfirmID added a paid verification route for travelers without accepted ID

TSA’s ConfirmID system launched February 1, 2026, adding a $45 identity-verification route for air travelers without accepted identification. A San Diego airport authority staff report prepared for its March 2 meeting subsequently recorded the launch. ^[1]

TSA’s December announcement specified a ten-day travel period. A noncompliant state license was not the only alternative: its accepted-document list included passports, passport cards, permanent resident cards and qualifying Tribal photo identification. Checking an existing document could avoid the paid route. ^[2]

January instructions said people with accepted ID did not need ConfirmID. Travelers unsure whether a state license met REAL ID requirements were directed to their state motor-vehicle agency. ^[3]

For people using ConfirmID, advance payment did not finish checkpoint processing. TSA instructed them to bring the Pay.gov receipt, printed or saved as a screenshot, and any government-issued ID to an officer. Additional identity verification and screening still applied. ^[3]

TSA estimated the process could take up to 30 minutes and warned that arriving without paying could cause further delays and a missed flight. That was a planning warning, not a measured airport-wide wait. Its December notice also said procedures would differ by airport. ^{[2] [3]}

The charge shifted a processing cost to passengers needing alternative verification, according to TSA. The March staff report supplies follow-through on the launch; these records do not establish completion rates or how the burden varied among communities. ^{[1] [2]}

About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.