12.2 Identification, REAL ID, and ConfirmID

12.2 Identification, REAL ID, and ConfirmID

Quick answer: Adults 18 and older must show valid identification at the checkpoint. As of May 7, 2025, a non-compliant state driver's license or ID is no longer accepted. A temporary driver's license is not acceptable. Bring a REAL ID, U.S. passport or passport card, or another item on TSA's acceptable identification list. Expired listed IDs are currently accepted up to two years after expiration. Children under 18 are not required to show ID for domestic travel; unaccompanied minors eligible for PreCheck must show acceptable ID to receive expedited screening. Starting February 1, 2026, travelers without required acceptable ID may pay $45 to use TSA ConfirmID. If identity cannot be verified, the traveler will not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint.

This section trains public identity logic for the TAB and for Travel Document Checking. It does not teach SSI watchlist-handling details. You are learning which credentials TSA publishes as acceptable, what REAL ID enforcement did on May 7, 2025, and what ConfirmID does — and does not — buy.

REAL ID enforcement

The REAL ID Act set minimum issuance standards after the 9/11 Commission. TSA's REAL ID page states that enforcement began May 7, 2025. The identification page is operational: as of May 7, 2025, state-issued driver's licenses and IDs that are not REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted as valid forms of identification at airports. A REAL ID commonly shows a star in a corner; an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced Identification Card (EID) is also accepted. TSA's interactive tool treats a license that has a star (and/or flag) or that says Enhanced as REAL ID ready.

Two traps:

1. Temporary driver's licenses are not acceptable. A paper interim license from a DMV visit is not a workaround.
2. PreCheck does not replace REAL ID. The PreCheck FAQ states that all travelers, including PreCheck enrollees, must have a REAL ID or other acceptable identification (for example a passport) to fly once REAL ID is enforced.

A U.S. passport remains an acceptable alternative. So do the other listed credentials below. Travelers who are not flying and not visiting a federal facility may not need REAL ID for that trip; travelers who are flying domestically do.

Acceptable IDs (public list)

TSA warns that the list is subject to change without notice. Check it before travel. The live identification page includes:

• State-issued REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or identification cards
• State-issued EDL or EID
• Mobile driver's licenses (mDLs) from states approved for federal use, and the mDL must be based on a REAL ID, EDL, or EID
• U.S. passport and U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card (green card)
• Border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
• Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

TSA is also accepting these digital identifications as part of ongoing testing: Apple Digital ID, Clear ID, and Google ID pass. Follow the live Digital Identity and participating-states pages; this is a testing program, not a claim that every phone wallet is a REAL ID.

Expired ID: TSA currently accepts expired ID up to two years after expiration for the above listed forms. That is a published window, not a rumor that any expired card works forever.

Children: TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States. Airlines may have their own rules — send those questions to the carrier. Unaccompanied minors who are eligible for TSA PreCheck must show an acceptable ID to receive expedited screening.

Suffixes: TSA accepts variations on suffixes between boarding passes and ID. Suffixes are not required on boarding passes. A suffix on the pass but not the ID, or the reverse, is an acceptable variation.

ConfirmID and the identity-failure flow

Starting February 1, 2026, if you cannot provide the required acceptable ID, you have the option to pay a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID. TSA will then attempt to verify identity so screening can begin. ConfirmID is optional. It is not guaranteed to succeed. The identification page's closing rule is the one that matters on the floor: If your identity cannot be verified, you will not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint.

TSA ConfirmID payment is through Pay.gov only. Cash is not accepted at the airport or by TSA officers. Pay with ACH, debit, credit, Venmo, or PayPal. Someone else may pay, but they must enter the traveler's legal name and travel start date. The fee is valid for 10 days from the date of travel listed on the receipt. Each adult 18 or older without acceptable ID must complete the process separately. Keep the Pay.gov confirmation email, a screenshot, or a printout; show the receipt at the checkpoint. If the traveler cannot produce proof of payment, they may need to pay again. If they have not paid and have no acceptable ID, they leave the line to pay and then go to the end of the line. About ConfirmID says verification averages 10–15 minutes and could take 30 minutes or more. Fraud in this process is processed under federal penalties.

ConfirmID does not replace screening. It is an identity-verification attempt so the traveler can begin checkpoint screening. A valid passport or other listed ID means you do not pay the fee.

Realistic scenario

Priya, 34, arrives with a non-star state license after May 7, 2025, and no passport. That license is not acceptable. A temporary paper license from last week's DMV visit is also not acceptable. She has a U.S. passport in her backpack — that is acceptable, and she does not pay ConfirmID. Next in line, Omar, 22, has no listed ID. It is after February 1, 2026. He can decline ConfirmID and be refused checkpoint entry, or he can pay $45 on Pay.gov, show the receipt, and give legal name, address, and date of birth while TSA attempts verification. If TSA cannot verify him, he does not enter the checkpoint. His 16-year-old sister traveling domestically with a parent does not need ID for standard screening, but if she is an unaccompanied minor seeking PreCheck, she must show acceptable ID. Omar Jr. on the boarding pass versus Omar on the license is a suffix variation TSA accepts. The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether the traveler proceeds.