Do Passports Cost Money? Renewal, Rush, and Child Fees

A first-time U.S. passport book costs $165 for an adult, and that is the answer most people searching how much does a US passport cost are looking for. The number is built from two separate charges: a $130 application fee paid to the Department of State and a $35 acceptance fee paid to the post office or clerk’s office where you apply in person. Every other price on the passport menu is a variation on those two components, plus optional rush fees. Fees were last updated on February 10, 2026.¹

First-Time Adult Fees

If you have never held a passport, you apply in person on Form DS-11 and owe both fees.¹

Passport book: $130 application + $35 acceptance = $165
Passport card: $30 application + $35 acceptance = $65
Book and card together: $160 application + $35 acceptance = $195

The card is cheaper but only works for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Flying internationally requires the book. Ordering both at once costs less than applying for each separately later.¹

Renewal Fees

Renewing costs less because there is no acceptance fee. You mail Form DS-82 or, if eligible, renew online, and pay only the application fee.¹

Passport book: $130
Passport card: $30
Book and card together: $160

To renew by mail, your most recent passport must be undamaged, issued when you were 16 or older, issued within the last 15 years, never reported lost or stolen, and in your current name (or accompanied by a legal name-change document).² Online renewal costs the same but is narrower: you must be 25 or older, keeping the same name and document type, and willing to accept routine processing with no travel for at least six weeks. Expedited service is not available through the online channel.³

Fees for Children Under 16

Children under 16 must always apply in person with a parent or guardian, even for a second passport, so the $35 acceptance fee applies every time. Application fees are lower than for adults.¹

Passport book: $100 + $35 = $135
Passport card: $15 + $35 = $50
Book and card together: $115 + $35 = $150

A child’s passport is valid for five years, not ten, so you will pay these fees roughly twice as often as you pay your own.⁴

Ages 16 and 17

Applicants aged 16 and 17 pay full adult fees and receive a ten-year passport, but must apply in person on Form DS-11. A first passport book in this age range totals $165.⁴

Rush Fees

Two optional charges stack on top of whatever you already owe:

Expedited processing: $60, which shortens the processing window from four-to-six weeks down to two-to-three weeks.¹
1-to-3-day delivery of the finished book: $22.05 per application, to a U.S. address. Passport cards ship by standard first-class mail only and are not eligible.⁵

An adult who rushes a first-time passport book with both add-ons pays $165 + $60 + $22.05 = $247.05. Worth knowing before booking a last-minute trip.¹

Lost, Stolen, and Name-Change Situations

Reporting a passport lost or stolen cancels the document but does not replace it. You must reapply from scratch on Form DS-11, appear in person, and pay full first-time fees, including the acceptance fee. For an adult, that resets the book price to $165. Mail-in renewal is no longer available once a passport has been reported lost or stolen.⁶

A name change within one year of issuance is free unless you want expedited service, which adds $60. After a year, a name change costs the same as a standard renewal if you qualify for DS-82, or full first-time fees if you must apply on DS-11.⁷

What the Fee Schedule Doesn’t Include

You still need a compliant passport photo. Pharmacy and retail chains typically charge about $15 to $17, and some acceptance facilities take photos on-site for a similar amount. You can take your own at home if it meets the State Department’s size, lighting, and background requirements.

None of these fees are refundable. The State Department keeps both the application fee and the acceptance fee even if your passport is denied, so a rejected application means paying again from the start.¹

How You Pay

The two fees are paid separately, often by different methods. The application fee can be paid by personal check, certified check, cashier’s check, traveler’s check, or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” Online renewals are paid electronically as part of the application.⁸

The $35 acceptance fee goes to the facility itself. Each location sets its own rules on payment: some take cards, others only checks or money orders. Confirm with your specific post office or clerk’s office before your appointment.¹

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
2
U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old
5
U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
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U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
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United States Postal Service. Passport Application and Passport Renewal