Beginning February 1, travelers without a Real ID, passport or other accepted form of identification will have to pay a $45 fee to get through airport security. A Real ID is a federally compliant state driver's license or identification card.

Washington

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that, starting February 1, travelers who do not possess a Real ID, passport, or other accepted forms of identification will be required to pay a $45 fee to pass through airport security. This fee funds the new Confirm ID process, which uses biometric verification such as facial scans and fingerprinting, and allows travel within the United States for a 10-day period.

Travelers can pay the fee online before arriving at the airport, though the verification process may take up to 30 minutes. While 94% of Americans are already Real ID compliant, experts note that the new fee could present challenges for low-income individuals who may have difficulty obtaining a Real ID or affording repeated fees for multiple trips.

TSA unveils new fee for travelers without Real ID

The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, is warning that travelers flying without a Real ID will face a new fee and potentially longer wait times in the coming months. Beginning February 1st, travelers without a Real ID, passport, or other accepted form of ID will have to pay a $45 fee to get through airport security. A Real ID is a federally compliant state driver's license or identification card. It can be easily identified by a black or gold star in its upper right-hand corner. The fee will go toward TSA's Confirm ID process for identity verification. Once a passenger's identity is verified, they will be free to enter the TSA screening line and travel within the U.S. for a 10-day period. The fee can be paid online prior to getting to the airport, but officials warn the verification process can take up to 30 minutes. CBS News Money Watch reporter Megan Cerullo joins me now to break it all down. So, Megan, how does Confirm ID work? This is a long time coming and the good news is that passengers who are not Real ID compliant have an alternative. They can fly if they're willing to pay $45. The fee is designed to pay for this new, more modern, advanced system that relies on biometrics like facial scans and fingerprinting, as well as biographic details to go that extra step to confirm passengers' identities at the airport. And the TSA is encouraging them to pay this $45 fee online before they get there to try to streamline the process. And so it's optional, but is it? You can't really fly without it. Not really, if you want to fly and you don't have a Real ID or a passport or a permanent resident card or another form of acceptable identification. What's happening now is TSA is verifying such individuals using a more cumbersome, manual, less advanced process, which is why they're rolling out this more advanced, technologically advanced, confirm ID verification system. And some are saying that this unfairly disadvantages low-income Americans. Right now, how many people have this Real ID? The good news is that 94% of Americans are Real ID compliant, meaning they have either a Real ID or an acceptable alternative form of identification. So it's not likely to be a big moneymaker if just a small fraction of Americans are paying the fee. But what some experts I spoke to said was, well, individuals might have a tough time taking off from work to go to the DMV to get their Real IDs, depending on what state you live in. There are fees associating with getting a Real ID. And if you don't have one and you show up to the airport without one, you have to pay this $45 fee, which is only good for a period of 10 days. So it expires. And the next time you travel, you could have to pay it again. OK. Megan Cerullo, thank you.

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Breakdown