The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has proposed a new policy that would charge travelers in the United States a fee of $18 if they do not possess a REAL ID. This initiative aims to fund upgraded technology for verifying the identities of passengers who fail to present acceptable forms of identification, which include passports, passport cards, and military IDs. The announcement was made on Thursday and is outlined in a notice from the TSA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The proposed charge is part of a “modernized alternative identity verification program” that utilizes “biographic and/or biometric information” to confirm identities. While details on this program remain vague, TSA has indicated that technologies like facial recognition software may be part of the plan. Anyone who pays the fee will not be required to pay it again within a 10-day period of subsequent travel.
This initiative raises significant financial implications, particularly in states like Oregon, where a REAL ID costs $30 on top of the standard license fee of $64 for first-time applicants. The cost of the REAL ID could quickly offset the proposed fee after just two instances of TSA charging travelers.
The TSA has not specified when this fee will take effect, stating that further announcements will be made on their official website, www.tsa.gov. According to a TSA spokesperson, “Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”
Public reaction to the proposal has been mixed. Some individuals view the fee as an unnecessary financial burden, while others argue that the government has provided ample time for travelers to secure a REAL ID. The REAL ID requirements were established by Congress in 2005 as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, with initial implementation slated for 2008. However, these deadlines have faced multiple delays.
As of now, TSA officials continue to allow many travelers to pass through security without REAL IDs or other acceptable forms of identification. Molly Prescott, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which operates PDX, mentioned in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive that while travelers lacking compliant IDs may be subjected to additional screening, the airport does not track how many individuals present without acceptable identification. Currently, about 94% of air travelers in the U.S. carry appropriate identification.
“This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance,” said the TSA spokesperson. It is also important to note that children traveling within the U.S. are not required to show identification and would not incur the $18 fee.
The proposed fee and the broader implications of the REAL ID program are likely to continue generating discussion among policymakers and the traveling public alike as the TSA prepares to roll out additional details.
