Travelers in the United States will soon face an additional fee at airports if they do not possess the appropriate form of identification, a move that has sparked significant backlash, with critics labeling it as an example of governmental overreach.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Monday that starting February 1, passengers lacking a REAL ID or a passport must pay a $45 fee when passing through airport security checkpoints.
This announcement is part of the TSA’s continued implementation of the REAL ID program. Travelers without a REAL ID or passport will be required to authenticate their identity using either a biometric or biographic system.
Last month, the Federal Register initially suggested this rule, with the TSA initially proposing a lower fee of $18. However, according to a report from ABC News, the agency has since increased the fee to $45.
Officials clarified on Monday that a more detailed analysis revealed that the costs associated with the Confirm ID system were higher than previously estimated.
“The fee was necessary because we need to modernize the system,” stated Steve Lorinez, TSA’s deputy executive assistant administrator for security operations, in an interview with the outlet.
‘We needed to make sure that the systems are safe.’
TSA noted that the $45 fee will cover the administrative and IT costs associated with the biometric verification program and ensure that the expense is covered by the traveler and not the taxpayers.
A senior TSA official, though, told Fox News that the fee is nonrefundable and is not guaranteed.
Travelers without a REAL ID or passport will soon be required to pay a $45 fine to pass through airport security
The announcement marks the second part of the agency’s rollout of the REAL ID
Once the program goes into effect, those without a REAL ID or passport can visit TSA.gov and follow the instructions listed to verify their identity and pay the fees.
After that, they will receive an email confirmation to show a TSA officer before they pass through the checkpoint.
The whole process should take between 10 to 15 minutes, but could take as much as half an hour or even longer, the TSA warns.
Those that get in line at the airport without an acceptable form of ID, meanwhile, will be sent out of the line to complete the process before they proceed.
Those with a stolen or lost REAL ID or passport will also be required to complete the process.
But even then, the TSA says there is no guarantee that individuals will be cleared through the checkpoint.
‘We still need to go through the process to make sure that we verify who you are,’ Lorinez said. ‘And for whatever reason, if we can’t do that, then you can’t go through the process.’
For those that are verified, their $45 fee will cover access through TSA checkpoints for up to 10 days.
After that, if the individual travels without a REAL ID or passport again, they will have to pay another $45.
Once the program goes into effect, those without a REAL ID or passport can visit TSA.gov and follow the instructions listed to verify their identity and pay the fees
Those who get on line for the security checkpoint without an acceptable ID will be pulled off the line and required to fill out a form and pay the fee
Many online were left outraged by the news, with one podcaster asking: ‘Is it really about safety on the airlines or just another money grab by the government?’
Another X user echoed that sentiment, writing: ‘If it was about security, they wouldn’t let anyone on their flight without a RealID since that is the premise of getting one.
‘Now we know it’s just another revenue stream for this administration.’
A third likened the new fee to a tax.
‘Either the TSA is a government agency and has no business determining which government ID we use OR the TSA is a government entity and has violated the law by instituting a tax without Congressional approval.
‘Either way this is BS,’ she wrote.
Meanwhile, a fourth X user just quipped that it is ‘harder to get on a flight than it is to vote.’
Still, TSA officials say 94 percent of travelers show up to the airport with an acceptable form of identification, and senior officials said they are working with airlines to help promote the effort when travelers book a ticket.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
