TSA could charge you $18 if you show up without a REAL ID
USA Today1 day
TSA Proposes $18 Fee for Travelers Without REAL ID
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration proposes an $18 fee for passengers without a REAL ID to pass through airport security. Is this a a helpful backup option for forgetful passengers, or another money grab punishing travelers?
Above: Air travelers without a REAL ID are given a red tag at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana on May 7, 2025. Image credit: Jeff Gritchen/Orange County Register/Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Charging $18 just because someone lacks a REAL ID feels punitive and unfair. This is an outrageous cash grab, slapping low-income and rural travelers with extra costs for a federal mandate delayed for decades due to bureaucratic failures. Already facing soaring ticket prices, families shouldn't have to pay to exercise basic air travel rights. It exacerbates inequality, turning security into a paywall and ignoring that passports remain an option only for the privileged. TSA is essentially monetizing identity verification instead of improving access.
Pro-establishment narrative
The TSA's new $18 fee for travelers without a REAL ID makes perfect sense after decades of delays and warnings. Americans have had over 20 years to get compliant identification, and this reasonable penalty finally incentivizes proper compliance and funds necessary security improvements. The modernized system provides a helpful backup option for forgetful travelers who would otherwise miss flights entirely. It's a fair incentive for responsibility, covers costs, reduces delays for everyone and bolsters post-9/11 security without banning travel outright.
Cynical narrative
Charging $18 for travelers without a REAL ID Act-compliant license isn’t just an extra fee — it’s a lever of forced compliance. The fee functions as a financial ultimatum: pay up or be burdened with additional screening, delays, or travel uncertainty. It shifts what should be a matter of access into a revenue stream tied to identity-document status, effectively compelling participation in the system.