Do the New TSA Changes Affect How Soon You Have to Get to the Airport?

It’s not a stretch to say that most travelers find flying to be…unpleasant. Speaking for myself, from ticket add-ons to baggage fees and getting through security, it can all be a bit much to deal with.

Over the course of 2025, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA)  made some major changes to its policies, including some longstanding rules. So, do these changes make flying in 2026 and beyond any easier? Well, it depends…

Documentation Changes

Let’s begin with the biggest change: REAL ID. After the deadline was pushed several times over the years, REAL ID — or an equivalent document — is now required to fly domestically in the United States as of May 7th. As a reminder, REAL IDs are state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the federal REAL ID security standards as established by the Department of Homeland Security.

Residents who live in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington who have State-Issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses and identification cards (EDL/EID), which are designated as “acceptable border-crossing documents by DHS under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative,” can use those as an acceptable alternative to a REAL ID for boarding a commercial aircraft.

If you don’t have a REAL ID, there are alternative approved methods of identification that can be used, including:

• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• 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 (ETCs).
• 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 (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

In addition to these REAL ID mandates, the TSA will now accept digital documentation, such as mobile driver’s licenses, at some airports. Furthermore, in late 2025, the TSA announced that beginning on February 11th, 2026, it will begin charging air travelers a $45 fee if their IDs do not meet stricter federal standards, a move the agency says is aimed at encouraging travelers to get the enhanced identity documents.

While this streamlined identification process will likely speed up airport security once all travelers have upgraded to the requisite identification, in the short term, members of our team — myself included — have actually noticed it’s making the process slightly longer as TSA agents are dealing with travelers who are either unaware of the program OR believe their identification meets the standards when it does not.

Our best advice here is to make sure that you and everyone in your traveling party has an acceptable form of REAL ID before heading to the airport.

Shoes ON

In another major change, airline travelers may now keep their shoes on when going through airport security. The shoe removal rule, which was first put in place in 2006 in response to fears of “shoe bombs” in the wake of the September 11th attacks, was rescinded in July.

Nicholas Calio, CEO of Airlines for America, an industry trade association, said the move went a “long way in facilitating smooth, seamless, and secure travel for passengers and is welcome news to the millions of people who fly every day.” Do note, however, that you may still need to remove your shoes at certain airports if the TSA agents on duty feel you require extra screening, or if you set off an alarm for any reason.

Much like the REAL ID recommendation, travelers being able to keep their shoes on will eventually lead to a smoother and conceivably faster security process. However, also much like the REAL ID situation, our most recent travels have actually been a bit slower, as many passengers still reflexively remove their shoes, holding up the line… only to be told to put them back on, holding up the line once again.

Be Careful with Those Chargers

In response to several incidents across the world, the TSA has changed its rules regarding portable chargers powered by lithium-ion batteries. The agency issued a ban on packing portable chargers with lithium-ion batteries in checked luggage, due to being fire hazards. So, if you plan on packing a charger, PLEASE be sure to store it in your carry-on bag or personal item.

New Lanes

The TSA also introduced some new types of lanes this year, which could make moving through security quicker. These aren’t available at all airports — at least not yet.

• The first “new” lanes are testing a new security system at some airports. It’s called New Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2). These units take a photo of you and then use AI technology to compare it to the photo on your ID. If you’ve already been through one of these lanes, you may have noticed you don’t have to provide your boarding pass — that’s because the system is automatically checking to see if you are ticketed to fly out that day. (But still, please, be sure you have your boarding pass on your phone or as a paper copy — you will definitely still need it at the gate to board your plane!).
• In July, the TSA announced that it would open security lanes dedicated to families and military service members called Families on the Fly. These lines are a dedicated security line for families with small children. Families can also receive a $15 discount for TSA Pre-Check enrollment.
• We have also visited airports this year that allow for less unpacking of electronics and liquids, and some that are testing a new automated process that allows for less unpacking of electronics and liquids, in addition to an automated bin system.

We’d definitely advise that you do some quick research into the airports you’re flying through to see if they’re offering any of these lanes, and if you qualify. That way, you’ll be prepared beforehand and won’t waste any time. After all, neither you nor the travelers behind you want to be waiting any longer than they need to!

Once again, conceivably, changes like the end of the shoe removal rule and new lanes will eventually expedite the boarding process once all travelers get used to them.

However, until then, they seem to make getting through security actually take LONGER. We’ve been behind people in airport security lines who don’t have an acceptable type of ID, or don’t know they no longer need to remove their shoes, and they have inadvertently been backing up the line.

And it’s important to note that we have not seen any changes to the times airports and airlines advise you to arrive, generally two hours before a domestic departure and three hours before an international flight. However, given all these changes in policy, it certainly wouldn’t surprise us if those guidelines were eventually changed as well.

The TSA’s new policies might speed the security process slightly (and every minute helps), but if you need to make your flight without rushing through the airport, you probably should still plan on arriving a couple of hours early.

The TSA made some MAJOR changes this year, and we are certainly excited about the focus on shortening security lines! We’ll keep you posted on all the TSA changes!

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Planning on flying in 2026? Are you taking the new rules into account? Let us know in the comments below.

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