Planning to fly out of Rhode Island T.F. Green without a Real ID next month? It’s going to cost you.
Starting Feb. 1, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require travelers without compliant forms of identification to verify their identity through a biometric or biographic system before they are allowed to pass through a TSA checkpoint.
Travelers can do so ahead of time online through the TSA’s new ConfirmID program, which comes with a $45 charge. Passengers will need to have a printed or electronic copy of their receipt to show the TSA officer verifying identification at the airport checkpoint. It takes an average of 15 minutes to use the ConfirmID program, but it could take as long as half an hour in some cases, TSA officials say.
A ConfirmID receipt is valid for 10 days following its purchase, according to the TSA.
Travelers without a valid ID or receipt may not be allowed through security and risk missing their flight, an agency spokesperson said in an email to Rhode Island Current.
“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,” Daniel Burche, TSA federal security director for Rhode Island, said in a statement. “While most travelers provide acceptable identification, it is our responsibility to confirm that passengers are who they claim to be.”
As of May 2025, travelers 18 or older nationwide must present either a U.S. passport or a REAL ID card marked with a gold star in the top right corner to board domestic flights or enter federal buildings.
President George W. Bush signed a law mandating the IDs in 2005 in response to security concerns raised by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The original compliance deadline was in 2008, but has been delayed by the federal government several times.
Since Real ID started last year, 97% of the passengers at T.F. Green have shown some form of identification that conforms with Real ID standards, according to the TSA.
Rhode Islanders can make appointments to get a real REAL ID through either the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or at local AAA branches if they are members. First time applicants will be required to provide one proof of identity document such as a birth certificate, proof of Social Security, and two proofs of Rhode Island residency such as a utility bill.
If your name has changed, you’ll need to provide official documentation, such as a government-issued marriage certificate, divorce decree, or adoption paperwork. Travelers applying for a REAL ID within their license renewal period, which is the 90 days before a license or ID expires, don’t have to pay any additional costs. Outside that renewal period, it will cost $27.50 to upgrade to a REAL ID.
As of Jan. 1, the state’s DMV issued 593,157 Real ID cards — representing nearly 69% of all active IDs, according to data provided to Rhode Island Current.
People traveling with a Real ID or another approved identification method can skip the $45 fee. Acceptable forms of ID include:
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards
HSPD-12 PIV card
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
Veteran Health Identification Card
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
