Search for “new TSA rules 2026” and you will find lists of freshly banned items, a scrapped liquids limit and new fines. Most of it is either wrong or several years old. The real changes are fewer, and a couple of them can cost you money or a missed flight if you find out at the podium.
Below is every change that actually affects a US checkpoint, from REAL ID enforcement in May 2025 through October 2026, sorted by who made the rule. Then the things that did not change, despite what you may have read. Thanksgiving 2026 (November 26) is the first holiday season with the $45 ID fee in place, so start with that one.
Every Real Change Since May 2025
| Date | What changed | Who set the rule | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2025 | REAL ID enforced: standard licenses no longer accepted | DHS / TSA | Adults on domestic flights |
| May 28, 2025 | Power banks must stay in plain sight while in use | Southwest | Southwest passengers |
| July 8, 2025 | Shoes stay on in standard screening lanes | TSA | Everyone |
| July 2025 | One Stop Security pilot: some London arrivals skip re-screening | TSA | A few flights at DFW and ATL |
| Feb 1, 2026 | $45 TSA ConfirmID fee if you have no acceptable ID | TSA | Adults without REAL ID or passport |
| Feb 14 to Apr 30, 2026 | 76-day DHS shutdown, longest waits in TSA history | Congress | Everyone (temporary) |
| Mar 27, 2026 | Two power banks max, no recharging them on board | ICAO | International flights |
Notice how many rows are not TSA. A lot of the confusion comes from airline and international aviation rules being reported as “TSA bans.” TSA decides what gets through the checkpoint. Your airline and international aviation rules decide what you can do with it once you board.
1. The $45 ConfirmID Fee
This is the change most likely to cost you money. Until February 1, 2026, a traveler who showed up without acceptable ID went through a free identity verification interview. That interview now costs $45 under a program called TSA ConfirmID.
How it works:
- Who pays: any adult who cannot show an acceptable ID, such as a REAL ID-compliant license or a passport. That includes people holding an older standard license, people who lost or forgot their ID, and people carrying only a paper temporary license, which TSA does not accept.
- Where you pay: only on Pay.gov, by card, bank account, PayPal or Venmo. You cannot pay at the airport, but you can pay from your phone in the terminal.
- What it covers: a 10-day window starting on the travel date you enter, so a short round trip needs one payment.
- What it does not do: guarantee anything. The fee is nonrefundable, and if TSA cannot confirm who you are, you can still be turned away.
- How long it takes: usually 10 to 15 minutes at the checkpoint, sometimes 30 or more.
- Kids: travelers under 18 do not need ID on domestic flights, so they never pay.
When TSA first proposed the fee in a November 20, 2025 Federal Register notice, it was $18. It rose to $45 before launch because verification cost more than projected. TSA says more than 94% of passengers already show acceptable ID. The other 6% are the people this fee catches, many of them on holiday trips they take once a year. If that might be you, read what to do if you lose your ID before a flight before you leave home.
2. Shoes Stay On
Since July 8, 2025, travelers at every US airport keep their shoes on in standard lanes. That ended a rule that had been in place since 2006, and it applies to everyone, not only PreCheck members. You can still be asked to take them off if something alarms or your footwear is heavy with metal. The details are in our guide to the shoes-on rule.
3. REAL ID Is Enforced, but Expired IDs Still Count
Since May 7, 2025, a standard state license is no longer acceptable ID at a TSA checkpoint. You need a REAL ID-compliant license (look for the star), a passport or passport card, a trusted traveler card, or another ID on TSA’s list. Our REAL ID guide covers what counts and how to get one.
Two details most “new rules” articles miss:
- Expired IDs are still accepted for up to two years after expiration, if the ID is on TSA’s list. An expired REAL ID or passport from last year still works. An expired standard license does not, because it was never acceptable in the first place.
- Phone IDs are growing. TSA accepts mobile driver’s licenses from approved states at checkpoints with readers, and lists Apple’s passport-based Digital ID and Google’s ID pass among the digital IDs it is testing. Carry the physical card anyway. See using a digital ID at TSA.
4. Power Banks: New Limits Came From Airlines and ICAO
TSA’s own battery rule has not changed: power banks and spare lithium batteries go in your carry-on, never in checked bags. Batteries up to 100 watt-hours are allowed, and 100 to 160 Wh needs airline approval.
What changed is the layer on top:
- International flights (since March 27, 2026): the International Civil Aviation Organization amended its dangerous goods rules to cap passengers at two power banks, ban recharging a power bank on board, and recommend against using one to charge devices during flight.
- Southwest (since May 28, 2025): a power bank in use must be out of your bag and in plain sight, on the tray table or in the seat pocket, not charging inside the overhead bin.
- Other US airlines: several large carriers published their own 2026 limits on how many power banks you can carry and where they can be stowed. The details differ by airline, so check your carrier’s page before you fly.
The simple way to comply everywhere: bring no more than two, keep them in the bag under the seat in front of you, and do not plug them into seat power. Our electronics guide explains how to read the watt-hour rating.
5. A Small Pilot for International Connections
Normally, when you land in the US from abroad and connect to another flight, you clear customs, recheck your bag and go through TSA again. In July 2025 TSA started a pilot called One Stop Security, which lets passengers on certain flights from London Heathrow connect without that second screening. It started with American Airlines connections at DFW and Delta connections at ATL. Unless your airline tells you otherwise, plan on screening again. Our connecting flight guide has the timing.
6. Shutdowns Are Now a Checkpoint Risk
The 43-day government shutdown of October and November 2025 was followed by a 76-day Homeland Security shutdown from February 14 to April 30, 2026. TSA officers worked without pay, callouts climbed, and TSA described the waits as the longest in its history. PreCheck kept running. Global Entry was suspended for 17 days. Lines got worst after the first missed full paycheck, not on the day the funding lapsed. Our shutdown guide explains how to plan around the next one.
What Did Not Change, Despite the Headlines
The 3-1-1 liquids rule
Liquids, gels and aerosols in your carry-on are still limited to 3.4 ounces (100 mL) per container, all in one quart-size bag. In July 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the size of liquids allowed could be “the next big announcement,” and that remark is the source of most “liquids rule scrapped” stories. As of October 2026, no nationwide change has been made. At some checkpoints with CT scanners you may be told to leave liquids in your bag, but the size limit still applies. Full rules are in our 3-1-1 guide.
”TSA just banned three items”
This went viral in August 2025, and it is still a common question in Google’s results. The three items were cordless curling irons with gas cartridges, butane-powered hair tools and the gas refills for them. None of it was new. Federal hazardous materials rules have long allowed one butane hair curler per person in a carry-on, with its safety cover fitted over the heating element. The curler is not allowed in checked bags, and gas refill cartridges are banned in both. Battery-powered cordless tools follow the ordinary lithium battery rules. For everything else, see what you can bring through TSA.
Kids and ID
Travelers under 18 still do not need ID for domestic flights when flying with an adult.
How to Prepare for Holiday Travel in 2026
- Check every adult’s ID tonight. Look for the star or bring a passport. Check expiration dates against the two-year window.
- If someone has no acceptable ID, pay ConfirmID on Pay.gov before you leave, enter the right travel date, and screenshot the receipt.
- Add time for the verification step. Our arrival time guide has the baseline, and the Thanksgiving guide ranks the peak days.
- Pack power banks in your personal item, two at most.
- Leave your shoes on unless an officer asks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new TSA rules for 2026?
The main 2026 change is the $45 TSA ConfirmID fee, in effect since February 1, for adults who reach the checkpoint without acceptable ID. International flights also have new power bank limits from March 27, 2026. The 2025 changes still trip people up: REAL ID enforcement since May 7, 2025, and shoes staying on since July 8, 2025.
What three items did TSA just ban?
The viral “three items” were butane curling irons, cordless hair tools with gas cartridges, and their gas refills. These were not new bans. One butane curler is allowed in a carry-on with its safety cover on. It is banned in checked bags, and gas refills are banned in both.
Did TSA change the liquids rule in 2026?
No. The 3.4-ounce (100 mL) limit and the single quart-size bag still apply as of October 2026. Some CT scanner lanes let you keep liquids in your bag during screening, but the size limit has not changed.
Do I have to pay $45 if I don’t have a REAL ID?
Only if you have no other acceptable ID. A passport, passport card, trusted traveler card or other ID on TSA’s list works instead. If you have none of them, the $45 ConfirmID fee is paid online on Pay.gov and covers 10 days of travel.
Is the TSA ConfirmID fee refundable?
No. The $45 fee is nonrefundable, and paying it does not guarantee TSA can verify your identity. Double-check the traveler’s name and travel date before you submit.
How many power banks can I bring on a plane in 2026?
On international flights, two per passenger under the ICAO rule that took effect March 27, 2026, and you cannot recharge them on board. TSA itself sets no count limit, but US airlines can, so check your carrier’s policy. Power banks are never allowed in checked bags.
Do you still have to take your shoes off at TSA?
No. Since July 8, 2025, shoes stay on in standard lanes at every US airport. You may still be asked to remove them if something alarms or you are selected for additional screening.
Check the Line, Not Just the Rules
Rules tell you what to pack. They do not tell you when the line at your airport is at its worst, and that matters more if you have to stop for an ID check. Look up your airport on Airport TSA Times to see when its checkpoints are busiest, from TSA’s hourly counts at 73 US airports, before you leave home.