The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rolled out a new program allowing Americans to have an alternative to the REAL ID. While TSA estimates that 95-99% of travelers use REAL ID to travel, the TSA ConfirmID program allows passengers to pay a $45 fee for a 10-day travel period.
“TSA ConfirmID is designed to provide non-compliant passengers with additional verification and security processes, ensuring terrorists, illegal aliens and other bad actors don’t slip through the cracks and board flights alongside legitimate passengers,” the agency explained in a press release.
The program “has been a huge success due to the ongoing collaboration with our airline, airport and industry partners and effective public outreach and communications efforts,” Steve Lorincz, TSA’s Acting Executive Assistant Administrator for Security Operations, said in a statement. “We have seen negligible operational impact in the system because of the preparation of our team and work of our partners. We continue to encourage travelers who do not have REAL ID-compliant identification or acceptable IDs to take the time to make appointments at their state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.”
Acceptable forms of ID for travel include REAL ID, state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID), passport or passport card, foreign government-issued passport, permanent resident card, border crossing card, and other documents.
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 to establish security standards for documents such as driver’s licenses and identification cards in order to be permitted entry into government facilities, nuclear power plants, and flights. The law was passed following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.
