TSA ConfirmID: $45 Fee to Fly Without REAL ID, Valid 10 Days

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) charges a $45 fee to use ConfirmID, its identity check for flyers without a REAL ID or other acceptable identification, and the fee covers 10 days from the date of travel on the receipt, according to tsa.gov and the Federal Register. Each adult 18 or older pays separately. A REAL ID, a passport or another accepted ID gets you through the checkpoint without the fee, and the list of accepted IDs is below with a printable checklist and the date each 10-day window ends for holiday trips.

REAL ID enforcement began May 7, 2025, according to TSA. TSA’s ConfirmID page covers travel “on or after February 1,” and its identification page dates the option from Feb. 1, 2026. For the Thanksgiving travel days, see the Thanksgiving 2026 travel guide.

What TSA ConfirmID costs and what the payment covers

TSA set the fee in a notice published in the Federal Register on Dec. 3, 2025 (90 FR 55754-55755, document 2025-21830). It says “The $45.00 fee applies per individual, per 10-day use.” Pay.gov, the federal payment site, says the payment “is valid for 10 days from the Travel Start Date entered during the payment process.”

Item	What the source says	Source
Fee	$45 per individual, per 10-day use	Federal Register, Dec. 3, 2025
Who pays	Travelers 18 and older, each separately	Pay.gov; TSA
How to pay	Bank account (ACH), PayPal, Venmo, debit or credit card	Pay.gov
Proof	Printed or electronic copy of the Pay.gov receipt emailed to you	Pay.gov; TSA
Refund	None, in whole or in part, to individuals whose identities are verified	Federal Register
Guarantee	None: payment “does not guarantee” verification	Federal Register

TSA warns that if it cannot verify your identity, “there is no guarantee TSA can do so.” A traveler who does not use ConfirmID and lacks acceptable ID “may not be allowed through security and may miss your flight,” TSA says.

How to pay for TSA ConfirmID before you fly

1. Open the “TSA ConfirmID Program Fee” form on Pay.gov (linked in the sources).
2. Enter your name and the travel start date. Someone else may pay for you.
3. Pay by bank account, PayPal, Venmo, or debit or credit card. The form is limited to travelers 18 and older.
4. Find the receipt Pay.gov emails you.
5. Bring a printed or electronic copy of the receipt to the TSA checkpoint.

When your 10-day ConfirmID window ends for holiday trips

The payment is valid for 10 days from the travel start date. TSA does not say whether the start date is day one, so the table gives both counts: the conservative last day (start date plus 9 days, with the start date as day one) and the longest reading (start date plus 10 days). These dates are our count from that rule, not a TSA statement. Enter your outbound date as the start date and plan to return by the earlier date.

Travel start date	Conservative last day	Longest reading
Sat., Nov. 21, 2026	Mon., Nov. 30	Tue., Dec. 1
Tue., Nov. 24, 2026	Thu., Dec. 3	Fri., Dec. 4
Wed., Nov. 25, 2026	Fri., Dec. 4	Sat., Dec. 5
Sat., Dec. 19, 2026	Mon., Dec. 28	Tue., Dec. 29
Mon., Dec. 21, 2026	Wed., Dec. 30	Thu., Dec. 31
Wed., Dec. 23, 2026	Fri., Jan. 1, 2027	Sat., Jan. 2, 2027
Sat., Dec. 26, 2026	Mon., Jan. 4, 2027	Tue., Jan. 5, 2027

A Thanksgiving trip that leaves Wednesday, Nov. 25 and returns Sunday, Nov. 29 sits inside one window by both counts. A trip that leaves Dec. 19 and returns Jan. 2 does not: by the per-10-day-use rule it may need a second payment, so check the Pay.gov form before you book a long trip. Mark the dates on the November 2026 or December 2026 printable calendar.

Which IDs get you through TSA security without the fee?

TSA’s identification page lists these as acceptable. TSA says it does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States, though unaccompanied minors eligible for TSA PreCheck must show acceptable ID for expedited screening.

Accepted ID	Detail from TSA
State REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card	Accepted
State Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced ID	Accepted
Mobile driver’s license	Based on a REAL ID, Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced ID
U.S. passport and U.S. passport card	Accepted
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trusted traveler cards	Global Entry and the other programs TSA lists
U.S. Department of Defense ID	Includes dependents
Permanent resident card and border crossing card	Accepted
Tribal Nation photo ID	Federally recognized, including Enhanced Tribal Cards
Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card	Under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12
Foreign government-issued passport	Accepted
Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card	Accepted
Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)	Accepted
Employment Authorization Card (I-766)	Accepted
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential	Accepted
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)	Accepted

How busy were airports at Thanksgiving in 2025?

TSA had not released a Thanksgiving 2026 forecast as of Nov. 8, 2026. In 2025, Click2Houston and FOX 11 Los Angeles reported on Dec. 1, 2025, both citing TSA, that TSA screened a record 3,133,924 people on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. That is last year’s figure, not a 2026 prediction.

Airport ID checklist to print

The one-page checklist covers the ID check, the Pay.gov steps, the receipt and lines for your trip dates. Print it and keep it with your boarding pass. Each adult flying pays on their own receipt, and the fee is not refundable.