No REAL ID? Michiganders can now pay a $45 fee to fly

TSA will use a modernized system that verifies travelers without a REAL ID or a valid passport through biographic or biometric data. Travelers can pay the fee in advance, which is valid for 10 days. Photo credit: Ryan Sun/Associated Press.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan (bridgemi.com), a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here (https://bit.ly/BridgeMichiganNewsletter).” 

by Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan 

If you haven’t gotten your REAL ID yet, you may still be able to travel within the country – but it will come with a cost.

The Transportation Security Administration announced Monday that beginning February 1, travelers who don’t have a REAL ID or passport can still fly if they pay a $45 fee.

That could impact more than a million Michigan residents who have not yet converted to a REAL ID, an enhanced security document generally needed to board flights in the US.

As of Nov. 13, roughly 8 million Michiganders held either a driver’s license or ID but only about 6.5 million — or 79% had a REAL ID, according to Secretary of State data.

The alternative fee will allow passengers to fly by using TSA Confirm.ID,  a modernized alternative identity verification system at security checkpoints. The fee can be paid in advance for a travel period of up to 10 days. But even with payment, entry is not guaranteed.

The modernized alternative identity verification system will use the individual’s biographic or biometric information to verify their identity and match the individual to their Secure Flight watch list result, according to the Federal Register.

That includes basic personal details like your name, date of birth, address, place of birth or fingerprints, facial scans and voice patterns.

Individuals who use the verification system multiple times during the 10-day travel period won’t have to pay an additional fee. But, any travel outside of the window will require an additional payment without an acceptable form of ID.

The new fee is more than double the $18 fee announced last month, an increase the TSA said is needed to cover the cost of “information technology infrastructure and services, software development, identity verification and validation,” and more, according to the Federal Register.

“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said Adam Stahl, senior official performing the duties of deputy administrator for TSA, in a press statement.

“The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are,” he said.

About REAL ID

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, which sought to establish nationwide security standards for state-issued identification documents following a recommendation from the 9/11 commission.

Enforcement of the REAL ID requirement was postponed multiple times to give states time to implement the change.

After May 7, individuals who don’t have a REAL ID, a valid passport or passport card can’t board a domestic flight.

Over 94% of passengers already use their REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification at TSA checkpoints, according to the Trump administration.

In Michigan, driver’s licenses, state IDs and enhanced licenses with a gold star in the top right corner are considered “REAL IDs.”

Beginning January 2029, the state will phase out the current design and replace it with a new design that will have a gold star in a silhouette of the state’s unique mitten shape.

How to get a REAL ID in Michigan

Michiganders are required to have a REAL ID to fly domestically and enter some federal facilities, military bases and nuclear power plants. A passport, or paying the new fee, can also qualify a passenger for domestic travel.

To convert your current driver’s license or state ID you’ll need to schedule a visit with the Secretary of State’s office and bring the following documents:

• Your current Michigan driver’s license or ID
• Either a valid, unexpired US passport, a certified copy of your birth certificate or a proof of legal presence document
• A certified legal name-change document if your name is different from what is on your birth certificate

There’s no additional fee to convert your current ID to a REAL ID if you do so at the time of renewal. But if you decide to convert it before then there’s a $9 fee to convert your license and $10 fee to convert your state ID.

If you have an enhanced ID, which allows US citizens to travel by land and sea to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean without a traditional passport, you don’t need to convert it to a REAL ID. Enhanced licenses are automatically REAL ID compliant, whether they have the gold star or not.

This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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