SC travelers without REAL ID will soon pay fee at airport, officials say

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - South Carolina travelers will soon need to pay a fee if they don’t have a REAL ID, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The TSA said that starting Feb. 1, airline passengers without REAL ID-compliant identification must pay a $45 fee for identity verification before they get to a TSA checkpoint.

The fee covers the cost of a modernized alternative identity verification system called TSA ConfirmID, the administration said.

The verification will be valid for 10 days, meaning travelers who plan their return flight within the 10-day period will pay for both flights at once, the TSA said.

“Travelers who do not want to pay the $45 fee for the modernized ID verification still have time to get a state-issued REAL ID,” said Acting South Carolina Federal Security Director Rich Rzucidlo. “Identity verification is fundamental to transportation security, and most travelers provide acceptable forms of identification. To avoid delays, more travelers need to have REAL ID-compliant IDs.”

The TSA said acceptable forms of identification include:

• REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by the DMV.
• A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.
• State-issued enhanced driver’s licenses or enhanced ID.
• U.S. passport.
• U.S. passport card.
• DHS trusted traveler card, such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST.
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents.
• Permanent resident card.
• Border crossing card.
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized tribal nation or Indian tribe, including enhanced tribal cards.
• HSPD-12 PIV card.
• Foreign government-issued passport.
• Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card.
• Transportation Worker Identification Credential.
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment authorization card.
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential.
• Veteran Health Identification Card.

South Carolinians without an acceptable ID are encouraged to visit the TSA ConfirmID program and pay the $45 fee beforehand, on or after Feb. 1.

Take a printed or electronic copy of the receipt, along with another form of ID, and show it to the Transportation Security Officer verifying identification at the airport checkpoint.

For more information on REAL ID can be found online at TSA.gov/real-id, by texting 275-872 (“AskTSA”) or on X at @AskTSA with questions.

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