Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security ...

The fee, set at $45, covers operational, technological, and administrative costs associated with verifying a traveler’s ...

Flyers without Real IDs, passports or other accepted forms of identification will need to pay a $45 fee starting Feb. 1.

The most direct way to avoid the $45 fee starting next year is by having either a Real ID or valid passport before flying domestically.