Travelers flying within or from the United States now need to carry identification that meets the federal REAL ID standard, and a new fee introduced in February 2026 makes the consequence of not carrying one considerably more concrete than the general warnings issued in prior years.

What REAL ID actually requires

The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, sets a federal standard for state-issued identification documents including driver’s licenses. Compliant licenses carry a star marking in the corner, and TSA began enforcing the requirement at airport security checkpoints starting May 7, 2025. Acceptable identification at a checkpoint includes a REAL ID-compliant license or an equivalent enhanced license, a valid US passport or passport card, or another approved alternative such as a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI card. A standard, non-compliant driver’s license without a star marking is no longer sufficient on its own.

The new fee and ConfirmID process

Starting February 1, 2026, TSA began charging a fee, reported at 45 US dollars, to travelers who arrive at a checkpoint without a compliant form of identification and still intend to fly. Those travelers must also complete TSA’s ConfirmID process, an identity verification system using biometric or biographic checks before being allowed through the checkpoint. According to TSA’s own announcement, a ConfirmID receipt obtained through this process remains valid for ten days, meaning a traveler taking a connecting or return flight within that window does not need to repeat the full verification each time.

Compliance rates so far

TSA’s early reporting on enforcement puts compliance at between 95 and 99 percent of travelers presenting an accepted form of identification at the checkpoint, suggesting the large majority of domestic travelers have already adjusted, whether by upgrading to a compliant license or by using a passport instead.

Why this matters for a resort trip

Most travelers flying internationally to an all-inclusive destination in Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America already carry a passport, which satisfies REAL ID requirements regardless of a traveler’s home state license status. The practical risk sits with connecting domestic flights: a traveler flying a domestic leg to reach an international gateway airport, using a driver’s license rather than a passport for that domestic segment, needs to confirm that license carries the star marking well before the day of travel, not at the checkpoint. State motor vehicle departments can take several weeks to process a REAL ID upgrade once the required documents, typically including proof of identity, Social Security number and two proofs of address, are submitted.

Children and REAL ID

TSA’s longstanding policy does not require children under 18 to present identification at a security checkpoint when traveling with an adult who has acceptable identification, a policy that continues unchanged under REAL ID enforcement and the ConfirmID fee. This matters for families booking a resort trip that includes a domestic connecting flight, since it is specifically the adult travelers’ identification that needs to meet the REAL ID standard, not every member of the traveling party.

Not a requirement for arriving in Mexico or the Caribbean directly

REAL ID is a United States domestic security requirement tied to TSA checkpoints and has no bearing on entry requirements for Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America, which are governed separately by each destination country’s own immigration rules and a valid passport. Travelers flying nonstop from a US gateway city on an international itinerary, without a connecting domestic flight first, will not encounter a REAL ID check at all, since passport-based international travel already exceeds the REAL ID identification standard.

Checking your own status before you fly

The fastest way to confirm compliance is to look directly at the front of a driver’s license for a star, usually in the upper right corner, or to check with the issuing state’s motor vehicle department website, since some older compliant licenses use a slightly different marking depending on the state and issue year. Travelers with any doubt should treat a passport as the simpler, universally accepted alternative rather than relying on an uncertain license status, particularly since a passport is already required for the international portion of most resort trips covered on this site.

What to do if a license is not yet compliant

Travelers who discover their license is not REAL ID compliant with a trip approaching have three practical options: use a passport for all flights on the itinerary if one is already held, apply for a passport with enough lead time if departure is more than a few weeks away, or accept the ConfirmID process and its fee for a specific date if neither alternative is available in time. Given documented processing delays at some state motor vehicle offices during peak renewal periods, travelers planning international trips are generally better served checking their identification status as early as possible rather than close to departure.

Sources: TSA.gov, “TSA Successfully Rolls Out TSA ConfirmID,” February 2026; TSA.gov REAL ID information page; CBS News Atlanta, “REAL ID enforcement is reshaping air travel.”