The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced a new identity verification program that will take effect on Feb. 1, 2026, while confirming that identification cards issued by federally recognized Tribal Nations will continue to be accepted at airport security checkpoints without additional fees.
Starting next month, air travelers who arrive at airport security checkpoints without acceptable identification will have a new option: they can pay a $45 fee to verify their identity through the TSA ConfirmID program. This alternative allows passengers to still board their flights even when they don’t have standard identification documents with them.
In a letter to Tribal Leaders dated January 7, Ha Nguyen McNeill, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the TSA Administrator, emphasized that the new fee will not apply to passengers carrying photo identification cards issued by federally recognized Tribal Nations or Indian Tribes.
“We do not expect it to affect passengers who have photo identification cards issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe,” McNeill stated in the letter, which was issued through the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Partnership and Engagement.
Both standard and Enhanced Tribal Cards remain acceptable forms of identification at TSA checkpoints. Passengers presenting these documents will proceed directly to security screening after a Transportation Security Officer confirms their identification, without needing to pay the $45 ConfirmID fee.