Expedited Passport Cost: Fees, Add-Ons, and Payment

An expedited U.S. passport book costs most adult first-time applicants $225 in government fees, or $247.05 with 1-3 day return delivery. That total is a $130 application fee, a $35 acceptance facility fee, and a $60 expedite surcharge, plus the optional $22.05 for fast shipping back to you. Adults renewing by mail skip the facility fee and pay $190, or $212.05 with fast delivery. A child’s expedited book runs $195, or $217.05 with fast delivery. None of these figures include passport photos or any private courier charges.¹

What You’ll Pay by Applicant Type

Adult First-Time Applicants

If you’re 18 or older and applying for the first time — or your previous passport was lost, stolen, damaged, or issued more than 15 years ago — you file Form DS-11 in person. The fees stack this way:

Application fee: $130 for a passport book, $30 for a passport card, or $160 for both
Acceptance facility fee: $35, paid to the facility where you apply
Expedite fee: $60
Optional 1-3 day return delivery: $22.05

So an adult expedited passport book is $225, or $247.05 with fast return shipping.¹

Adult Renewals by Mail

Adults with an undamaged passport issued when they were 16 or older, and within the last 15 years, can renew using Form DS-82. Because you mail the application in rather than going through an acceptance facility, there’s no $35 facility fee. An expedited renewal is $190, or $212.05 with 1-3 day delivery. Write “EXPEDITE” on the outside of the envelope.¹

One catch on price-shopping: the State Department’s online renewal system currently offers routine processing only. If you want expedited service, you have to renew by mail with the $60 surcharge.²

Children Under 16

Every child’s passport is a DS-11 in-person application. Children cannot renew by mail or online. An expedited child’s book totals $195, or $217.05 with fast delivery.³ The components:

Application fee: $100 for a passport book, $15 for a passport card, or $115 for both
Acceptance facility fee: $35
Expedite fee: $60
Optional 1-3 day return delivery: $22.05

Fees That Can Push the Total Up

A $150 file search fee applies if you can’t provide proof of U.S. citizenship — a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate — and the State Department has to search its records for you.⁴

Passport photos generally run $5 to $20 at pharmacies and post offices if you don’t take a compliant photo at home.

Is the $60 Expedite Fee Worth It?

As of early 2026, routine passport processing takes 4 to 6 weeks and expedited processing takes 2 to 3 weeks. Those windows only cover time at the passport agency. The State Department estimates about two weeks for your application to reach them and another two weeks for the finished passport to come back, though paying for 1-3 day return delivery shortens the back end.⁵

Rough guide: if your trip is more than 10 weeks out, routine service should be enough and the $60 is optional insurance. Between 5 and 10 weeks, expediting buys real peace of mind. Under 3 weeks, neither routine nor expedited service will get a mailed passport to you in time.

When Expediting by Mail Isn’t Fast Enough

The $60 expedite fee does not cover in-person urgent processing at a regional passport agency. If you’re traveling internationally within 14 calendar days, or need a foreign visa within 28 days, you can book an appointment at a passport agency. These agencies see appointment holders only, not walk-ins.⁶

A separate route exists for life-or-death emergencies: an immediate family member abroad has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury, and you need to travel within two weeks. “Immediate family” here means a parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent, not aunts, uncles, or cousins. You’ll need documentation such as a death certificate or a hospital letter on letterhead signed by a doctor, plus proof of upcoming foreign travel.⁷

What Third-Party Expeditors Add to the Bill

Private passport expeditors and couriers offer to hand-carry your application to a passport agency and pick up the finished book. They do not get your passport processed any faster than you could yourself by going to an agency; the State Department processes all applications on the same timeline. What you’re paying for is convenience.⁸

Their fees can run several hundred dollars on top of the government fees above. Some charge for services the State Department provides free, like filling out forms or scheduling appointments. If a company asks you to pay for an appointment itself, the State Department flags that as a fraud indicator. You’re also handing over sensitive documents, and the State Department won’t intervene if a courier loses your birth certificate or passport.⁹

A courier also can’t skip the in-person requirement. If you need Form DS-11, you still have to appear at an acceptance facility yourself; the courier only carries the sealed application afterward.

How to Pay

Payment method depends on where you file. When you apply by mail or at an acceptance facility, the application, expedite, and delivery fees must be paid by check or money order to “U.S. Department of State.” Write the applicant’s full name and date of birth in the memo line.¹

The $35 acceptance facility fee is a separate payment to the facility itself. Accepted methods vary by location — some take cash or cards, others only checks. Call ahead.

At a regional passport agency the rules flip: pay by credit card, debit card, or contactless payment like Apple Pay or Google Pay. No cash, checks, or money orders.¹

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
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Travel.State.Gov. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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Travel.State.Gov. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
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U.S. Department of State. Courier and Expeditor Companies
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U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast