The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has finalized a $45 user fee for its "TSA Confirm.ID" identity verification program, establishing a paid alternative pathway for travelers who arrive at a screening checkpoint without an acceptable form of identification. Under the Federal Register notice, the fee applies per individual and covers a 10-day period of use, provided the traveler can successfully complete the identity verification process.
In the notice, TSA frames Confirm.ID as a registered traveler program, triggering statutory requirements that user fees cover the agency’s aggregate costs of providing the service. TSA states that the fee is non-refundable and emphasizes that payment and registration do not guarantee the traveler’s identity will be verified or that the traveler will be permitted to enter the sterile area. "Registering for the TSA Confirm.ID program and payment of the non-refundable fee does not guarantee that an individual’s identity will be verified," TSA wrote.
TSA also says its final $45 fee reflects updated assumptions about expected user population size and implementation costs, and notes that it has updated a fee development report and will publish additional program information on TSA.gov. While a Federal Register notice describes fee collection as beginning once TSA announces registration availability through its website, TSA’s public Confirm.ID page lists a Feb. 1, 2026 fee start date.
Sources: Federal Register, TSA
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
