Fee coming for N.C. air travelers without a REAL ID

Anyone traveling through a North Carolina airport without a REAL ID will soon face an identity verification fee, the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles announced.

Beginning Feb. 1, a $45 fee will be charged to airline passengers before they get to a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint.

The NCDMV says the fee covers the cost of a “modernized alternative identity verification system, called TSA ConfirmID.” The fee will cover a 10-day travel period, officials say, so anyone traveling round-trip within that timeframe will only be charged the fee once.

“Those who do not want to pay the $45 fee for the modernized ID verification still have time to get their REAL ID compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of ID,” RDU Federal Security Director Jennifer Gordon said in a release. “Verifying identity is a critical component of transportation security. While most travelers provide acceptable identification, it is our responsibility to confirm that passengers are who they claim to be. Ensuring the safety of the traveling public continues to be our highest priority.”

For roughly nine years, the NCDMV says it has been issuing REAL IDs, and over 5 million residents have already gotten theirs.

Officials say anyone who needs a REAL ID can apply and get more information at NCREALID.gov.

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