ADMIN COSTS

Travelers Flying Without a REAL ID to Be Hit With New Fine

The change will take effect in February.

Airline passengers traveling without a REAL ID or a passport will have to pay a $45 fine starting Feb. 1. The Transportation Security Administration announced that anyone going through airport security checkpoints without the right type of ID will need to verify their identity through a biometric or biographic system. The $45 fee is to cover the administrative and IT costs associated with the verification. Originally, the Federal Register proposed the fee be $18, but the TSA decided to raise it to make sure the verification costs are paid by the traveler and not taxpayers, officials said. Travelers without a REAL ID will be able to verify their identities and pay the fees online, but the process is only valid for 10 days. At that point, the fee has to be repaid. About 94 percent of airline travelers are already using a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID, according to the TSA.