How Much Do New Passports Cost? Book, Card, and Renewal Fees

A new U.S. passport book costs $165 for an adult, and a passport card costs $65, so the answer to how much a new passport costs depends mostly on which document you need and whether you pay extra for speed. Those adult totals combine a $130 (or $30) application fee sent to the U.S. Department of State with a $35 acceptance fee paid at the location where you submit your paperwork. Children pay less. Renewing by mail costs less still. Everything else is add-ons.¹

Adult Passport Book: $165

If you’re 16 or older and applying for the first time, the price breaks into two pieces. The $130 application fee goes to the State Department and covers producing the document. The $35 acceptance fee goes to the post office, county clerk, or other designated facility where you submit Form DS-11. Total out of pocket: $165.¹ An adult book is valid for 10 years.²

Passport Card: $65

The card is smaller and cheaper, but it works only for land and sea crossings into Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. It will not get you on an international flight.³ For adults, the application fee is $30 plus the $35 acceptance fee, or $65 total.¹

Both Book and Card: $195

You can apply for both on a single DS-11 and pay only one acceptance fee. The combined adult application fee is $160, plus the $35 acceptance fee, for a total of $195. That saves you $35 compared with applying separately.¹

Children Under 16

Kids pay lower application fees but still owe the $35 acceptance fee, because every applicant under 16 must apply in person on Form DS-11 and cannot renew by mail.⁴

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

A child’s passport is valid for 5 years, not 10.²

Renewal by Mail Is Cheaper

Renewing on Form DS-82 skips the $35 acceptance fee entirely, because you’re not appearing in person. The application fee is unchanged:¹

Book renewal: $130
Card renewal: $30
Book and card renewal: $160

You qualify for mail-in renewal only if your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued when you were 16 or older, and was issued within the last 15 years. Miss any of those and you’re back to Form DS-11 in person, paying the $35 acceptance fee.⁴

Lost or Stolen: Full Price Again

A replacement uses Form DS-11, the same form first-time applicants use, and you pay the full application fee plus the $35 acceptance fee no matter how recently the lost passport was issued. Adults pay $165 for a book or $65 for a card; children pay $135 or $50. There’s no discount for replacement, and both fees are non-refundable by law even if a passport is never issued.¹

Faster Service Costs Extra

Routine processing takes 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited service runs 2 to 3 weeks and adds $60.⁵ For an adult book, that’s $130 + $35 + $60 = $225. Renewing by mail with expediting, the total is $190 because there’s no acceptance fee.¹

You can also pay $22.05 for 1-3 day delivery of the finished book. Cards ship via standard First Class Mail regardless of what you pay.¹ Stack everything and an adult book comes to $247.05: $130 application + $35 acceptance + $60 expedite + $22.05 delivery.

Other Costs to Plan For

Photos

You need a compliant photo, and the State Department doesn’t provide one. Retailers and pharmacies typically charge $7 to $17; the U.S. Postal Service charges around $15.

Name Changes and Corrections

If you legally changed your name within the past year and your passport was also issued within that year, the update is free (aside from an optional $60 expedite fee). A printing or data error is always corrected free. Name changes older than a year fall under standard fees.⁶

File Search

If you once had a passport but can’t submit it with your application, the State Department will search its records. For passports issued before 1994, this costs $150.¹

How to Pay

The application fee has to be paid by check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State,” with the applicant’s full name and date of birth in the memo line. Personal, certified, cashier’s, and traveler’s checks all work. The $35 acceptance fee goes to the facility itself, and accepted payment methods vary by location. Some take cash or cards; some don’t. Confirm with your facility before you show up.¹

Both fees are non-refundable. The State Department keeps them even if your application is denied.¹

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. After You Get Your New Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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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. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport