Can You Fly Without a REAL ID? What TSA Accepts Instead

You can fly within the US without a REAL ID if you carry another ID on TSA’s list, such as a passport. What stopped working on May 7, 2025, is the standard state license without the REAL ID marking. Below are the 17 IDs TSA accepts, how to spot a compliant license, the rules for expired IDs and children, and the $45 ConfirmID fee for travelers with none of them.

Can you fly without a REAL ID?

Yes, with another acceptable ID. TSA requires adults 18 and older to show valid ID at the checkpoint, and a REAL ID-compliant license is only 1 of 17 entries on its list. Your situation decides what happens at security:

Your situation	At the checkpoint	Cost
You have any ID on TSA’s list, or one that expired up to 2 years ago	Show it and go through screening	Nothing extra
You are under 18 on a flight within the US	No ID needed by TSA, though your airline may ask	Nothing
You are 18 or older with nothing on the list	Pay for TSA ConfirmID first, then verify your identity at the checkpoint	$45, valid 10 days, no guarantee

IDs TSA accepts instead of a REAL ID

TSA’s list covers citizens, residents, visitors and federal workers, and it can change without notice.

Who usually holds it	IDs on TSA’s list	Note
US citizens	REAL ID-compliant state license or ID card; state Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced ID; mobile driver’s license; US passport; US passport card; DHS trusted traveler card (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)	A mobile license must come from an approved state and be based on a REAL ID, EDL or EID
Noncitizens living in the US	Permanent resident card; USCIS Employment Authorization Card (I-766)	A state REAL ID also works
Foreign visitors	Foreign government-issued passport; border crossing card; Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card	No US license needed
Military, veterans, federal and transport workers	US Department of Defense ID; HSPD-12 PIV card; Veteran Health Identification Card; Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC); US Merchant Mariner Credential	Defense IDs issued to dependents count
Tribal members	Photo ID from a federally recognized Tribal Nation	Includes Enhanced Tribal Cards

TSA also accepts Apple Digital ID, Clear ID and Google ID pass as part of ongoing testing, but you must bring your physical ID too. A birth certificate and a Social Security card are not on the list. A suffix mismatch, such as Jr. on the boarding pass but not on the ID, is accepted.

How to tell if your license is a REAL ID

Look at the top of the card: a compliant license carries a REAL ID marking in the upper portion, usually a star. No marking means TSA will not accept it. The exception is an Enhanced license or ID from Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont or Washington, marked with a US flag and the word Enhanced, which TSA accepts although most carry no star.

Every state now issues compliant cards. According to TSA’s REAL ID FAQ, the DMV asks at minimum for proof of your full legal name, date of birth and lawful status, your Social Security number and 2 proofs of address. States can add requirements of their own.

Expired IDs and temporary licenses at TSA

TSA currently accepts the IDs on its list up to 2 years after they expire, so a US passport that ran out last year still works for a domestic flight. Stricter limits, such as 6 months of validity left on arrival, are set by the countries you fly to, not by TSA. Check the passport’s condition too: the State Department warns that airlines may deny boarding on a damaged passport, and it counts stains, significant tears and missing pages as damage.

Do children need ID to fly?

Not for TSA on flights within the US: children under 18 do not need to show ID at the checkpoint, though a child flying alone needs one to get TSA PreCheck screening. Airlines set their own rules for travelers under 18, so check with yours.

International trips are different. Every child, infants included, needs a passport or trusted traveler document to enter the US, and when one parent stays home, some countries also ask for a consent letter signed by that parent.

Flying with no acceptable ID: TSA ConfirmID for $45

TSA ConfirmID started on February 1, 2026, as the fallback for adults with nothing on TSA’s list.

The fee covers 10 days from the travel date on the receipt, so 1 payment can cover a short round trip. Each adult without ID pays separately, and anyone can pay for you if your name and dates are entered correctly. TSA’s ConfirmID FAQ confirms that travelers with a valid passport do not need it.

How to use TSA ConfirmID

1. Select Pay Now on the TSA ConfirmID page before you reach the airport; it opens Pay.gov.
2. Enter the traveler’s legal name and travel start date, and check both before you submit.
3. Pay the $45 by bank account, debit or credit card, Venmo or PayPal; cash is not accepted.
4. Save the confirmation email or a screenshot of the receipt, or you may have to pay again.
5. Show the receipt at the checkpoint and give your legal name, address and date of birth.
6. Leave the line if you arrive unpaid, pay on your phone, and rejoin at the end.

REAL ID and international travel

A REAL ID is for domestic use only. On a trip abroad, the passport goes first on the list of documents you pack, because a REAL ID cannot be used to cross into Canada or Mexico, for other international travel or for international sea cruises. Enhanced licenses go further: DHS also designates them as border-crossing documents under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.