TSA Can Charge RI Travelers $18 If They Fly Without Real ID

Flying without a Real ID could cost you $18.

The Transportation Security Administration proposed the fee to "address the government-incurred costs" of a "modernized alternative identity verification program for individuals who present at the TSA checkpoint without the required acceptable form of identification," such as a Real ID, according to a notice published Thursday.

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"This modernized program provides an alternative that may allow these individuals to gain access to the sterile area of an airport if TSA is able to establish their identity," the notice said.

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In an email, TSA Media said the "notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary (Kristi) Noem as of May 2025."

"TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints," the email said. "Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days.”

The deadline for getting a Rhode Island REAL ID to fly domestically or get into many government buildings was in May.

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The Department of Homeland Security extended the deadline for REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses multiple times, most recently in late 2022 when the agency moved the implementation date back two years to 2025.

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