Yes, you can fly without a REAL ID in 2026 on a domestic U.S. flight if you present another form of identification accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). A U.S. passport, passport card, state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License or several other documents can meet the requirement. If you are age 18 or older and have no acceptable identification, you may pay $45 to use TSA ConfirmID, an identity-verification process. The fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee that TSA can verify your identity or allow you through the checkpoint.
- Look for another TSA-accepted ID first. A passport, passport card or another item on TSA’s current list avoids the ConfirmID fee and verification process.
- If you have no acceptable ID, use TSA ConfirmID before travelling. Pay the $45 fee through the official Pay.gov form using the traveller’s correct legal name and travel start date.
- Save the receipt and allow extra time. Take a printed or electronic copy to the checkpoint, and be prepared for identity questions and additional screening.
This guidance applies to adults passing through TSA screening for domestic commercial flights as of September 2026. Airlines can set separate check-in, boarding and name-matching rules. International flights also require the travel documents demanded by the destination and airline.
Check for another accepted form of ID first
A $45 ConfirmID payment is not necessary merely because your driver’s license does not have a REAL ID marking. You do not need a REAL ID if you have another document on TSA’s acceptable-identification list.
Common alternatives include:
- A U.S. passport book or U.S. passport card
- A state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced ID
- A Department of Homeland Security trusted traveller card, including Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST
- A U.S. Department of Defense ID, including an eligible dependent ID
- A Permanent Resident Card
- A foreign government-issued passport
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation or Indian Tribe
- A Transportation Worker Identification Credential
- A Veteran Health Identification Card
TSA also lists border crossing cards, federal Personal Identity Verification cards, Canadian provincial driver’s licenses or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada cards, Employment Authorization Documents and U.S. Merchant Mariner Credentials. Check TSA’s list shortly before travel because it can change.
Since May 7, 2025, a state driver’s license or identification card that is not REAL ID-compliant has not been accepted by itself at TSA airport checkpoints. A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable document either.
Do not confuse an Enhanced Driver’s License with an ordinary noncompliant license. TSA specifically accepts state-issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses and Enhanced IDs. Their appearance varies by state, so do not rely only on whether a card has the usual REAL ID star.
How TSA ConfirmID works
TSA ConfirmID has been available since February 1, 2026. It is an optional, fee-funded identity-verification process for travellers age 18 or older who have lost their identification or do not have a REAL ID, valid passport or another accepted ID. The fee is $45 for each traveller and is non-refundable, including when TSA cannot verify the traveller’s identity.
Pay only through the official TSA ConfirmID form on Pay.gov. You will need:
- The traveller’s legal name
- The travel start date
- An email address for the receipt
- A bank account, debit card, credit card, PayPal account or Venmo account
Someone else may make the payment, which can help when a wallet and payment cards have been lost or stolen. However, the traveller’s information must be entered correctly. Each adult without acceptable identification must complete the process separately.
Pay.gov sends a receipt by email after payment. Save it where you can access it without depending on airport Wi-Fi, and consider keeping both an electronic copy and a printout. You must show a printed or electronic copy of the unexpired receipt at the TSA checkpoint each time you travel without acceptable ID during the covered period.
How the ten-day period works
The payment is valid for ten days from the travel start date entered in the form. If you travel after that period ends, you must pay the fee again. One payment may therefore cover an outbound and return trip if both flights are within the ten-day period, but TSA must still successfully verify your identity at each checkpoint.
Check the traveller’s name, travel start date and email address carefully before submitting payment. An error can make it harder to show usable proof of payment at the airport.
What to expect at the airport
Arrive earlier than usual. Tell the TSA officer that you do not have acceptable identification and have a TSA ConfirmID receipt. The officer may direct you to a separate area for identity verification rather than immediately allowing you to proceed through the regular screening process.
TSA may collect information such as your name and current address to try to confirm your identity. Bring the receipt and any remaining documents or records that could support your identity, even if they are not accepted as primary identification. For example, an unaccepted driver’s license can still provide information during the verification attempt, but it does not replace an accepted ID or eliminate the ConfirmID fee.
If TSA confirms your identity, you may enter security screening. You may also be subject to additional screening of yourself and your property. The time required is not predictable, so avoid arriving close to boarding time.
ConfirmID pays for access to the verification process, not for guaranteed checkpoint clearance. TSA may deny entry to the checkpoint if it cannot confirm your identity, if you do not cooperate with the process or if you decline required screening. It is possible to miss a flight even after paying the fee.
ConfirmID addresses TSA identity screening only. It does not change an airline’s check-in deadline, ticket-name requirements, boarding decisions or baggage rules.
Lost wallets, expired IDs and other common situations
Lost or stolen wallet
Before leaving for the airport, look for a passport, passport card, trusted traveller card or other accepted ID stored elsewhere. If none is available, complete the ConfirmID payment process and save the receipt before travelling to the airport. A police report can document a theft, but it is not TSA-accepted identification and does not guarantee identity verification.
Expired documents
TSA currently accepts the identification documents on its approved list for up to two years after expiration. That can include an expired REAL ID-compliant license or another eligible document. However, an ordinary non-REAL ID state license does not become acceptable because it is within the two-year expiration allowance.
Children and unaccompanied minors
TSA does not generally require children under 18 to provide identification when travelling domestically. They do not need ConfirmID solely because they do not have ID. Airlines may require proof of age, consent forms or other documentation, especially for lap children and unaccompanied minors, so check the carrier’s policy before travel.
An unaccompanied minor who is eligible for TSA PreCheck must show acceptable identification to receive expedited screening.
TSA PreCheck travellers
TSA PreCheck membership does not waive the identification requirement for adult travellers. A PreCheck traveller needs a REAL ID-compliant state credential or another accepted ID. A traveller without one can use ConfirmID, but may face identity verification, additional screening and delays rather than expedited screening.
International travel
ConfirmID does not replace a passport for international air travel. It only concerns identity verification at a TSA checkpoint. Your airline and destination may require a valid passport book, visa, travel authorization or other documents before boarding.
A U.S. passport card is accepted by TSA for domestic flights but cannot be used for international air travel. Use a passport book for a flight abroad and check the destination’s entry and passport-validity requirements before departure.
