A first-time adult U.S. passport book costs $165: a $130 application fee to the State Department plus a $35 acceptance fee to the facility that processes your paperwork. How much a passport costs beyond that depends on your age, whether you’re renewing or applying fresh, whether you want a book or a card, and how fast you need it.1U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
First-Time Adult Fees
If you’ve never had a U.S. passport, or you don’t qualify to renew, you file Form DS-11 in person at an acceptance facility such as a post office or county clerk. Two separate fees apply: an application fee paid to the State Department and a $35 acceptance fee paid to the facility.
- Passport book: $130 application + $35 acceptance = $165. Valid for all international travel.
- Passport card: $30 application + $35 acceptance = $65. Valid only for land and sea travel returning from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
- Book and card together: $160 application + $35 acceptance = $195.
The card will not get you on an international flight. If there’s any chance you’ll fly abroad, you need the book. Adult passports (book or card) are valid for 10 years.2U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
Fees for Children Under 16
Children’s passports also require Form DS-11 filed in person, so the $35 acceptance fee applies every time. The application fee is lower than an adult’s, but a child’s passport is only valid for five years, so you’ll be paying it more often.
- Passport book: $100 + $35 = $135
- Passport card: $15 + $35 = $50
- Book and card together: $115 + $35 = $150
Both parents or guardians must appear in person with photo ID. If only one parent can attend, that parent brings a notarized consent form.3U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
Renewal Fees
Renewing costs less because you skip the $35 acceptance fee. You submit Form DS-82 by mail (or renew online) without visiting a facility. Adult renewal runs $130 for a book, $30 for a card, or $160 for both.4U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
You can renew only if all of the following are true:
- You can submit your most recent passport with the application.
- You were at least 16 when it was issued.
- It was issued less than 15 years ago.
- It isn’t damaged, lost, or stolen.
A name change since issuance doesn’t disqualify you from mail renewal as long as you include a certified document (marriage certificate, court order). Miss any of the criteria and you start over with DS-11 at the full first-time price.
Online Renewal
Online renewal charges the same fees as mail renewal: $130, $30, or $160. You pay by credit or debit card instead of mailing a check. Eligibility is narrower: you must be 25 or older, your passport must be expiring within a year or have expired less than five years ago, you can’t be changing your name or other personal information, and you can’t have travel within six weeks.5U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
Paying More for Speed
Standard processing runs four to six weeks. Two upgrades are available, and you can use both.
Expedited processing costs an extra $60 and shortens the wait to two to three weeks. It can be added to a first-time application, a mail renewal, or an online renewal.6U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
1-3 day delivery costs $22.05 and speeds up the return trip once your book is printed. It covers only the outbound delivery of the finished passport, not the shipping of your application to the State Department.
Urgent Travel Within 14 Days
Traveling internationally within 14 calendar days? You can book an appointment at a regional passport agency and bring proof of travel, such as a flight itinerary. The agency charges the same $60 expedited fee on top of the regular application or renewal fees.
Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passports
Losing a passport is expensive. You cannot renew one that is lost, stolen, or significantly damaged; you have to apply again in person on Form DS-11, which means paying the full application fee plus the $35 acceptance fee even if your last book was recent. For an adult replacing a lost book, the floor is $165, before any expedited fee.
Damage that forces this route includes water damage, significant tears, unofficial markings on the data page, missing pages, or a hole punch through the cover.1U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
Name Changes and Corrections
If your name changed within one year of your passport being issued, you can update it for free on Form DS-5504. Add the $60 expedited fee only if you want it done faster. If more than a year has passed since issuance, you’ll go through renewal (DS-82) or a fresh application (DS-11) and pay the usual fees.7U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
If the State Department made a printing or data error, correcting it costs nothing. Submit DS-5504 and the department fixes its own mistake at no charge.
The $150 File Search Fee
This one catches people off guard. If you had a U.S. passport in the past but can’t submit it with your application, and it was issued before 1994, the State Department charges $150 to search its records for your file. Passports issued from 1994 onward are in the digital system, so no search fee applies. Find that old book in a drawer and you save $150.
Other Out-of-Pocket Costs
Government fees aren’t the whole bill.
Photos. You need a compliant passport photo. Pharmacies, shipping stores, and some post offices charge roughly $7 to $17 for a set. Some acceptance facilities take them on-site, which is convenient but not always the cheapest option.
Mailing. For mail applications, the State Department recommends trackable shipping. Priority Mail or an equivalent trackable service generally runs a few dollars, depending on where you’re sending from.8U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
Birth certificate. First-time applicants need proof of citizenship, usually a certified birth certificate. Ordering one from your state’s vital records office typically costs between $10 and $35, with some states charging more for expedited or online orders through third-party processors.
How to Pay
Payment is split between two entities, and this trips people up at the counter.
The application fee, plus any optional fees (expedited processing, fast delivery, file search), goes to the U.S. Department of State. For mailed applications, that means a check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.” Credit and debit cards aren’t accepted for mailed applications. Online renewals are paid by credit or debit card.
The $35 acceptance fee goes to the facility itself. Most accept cash, checks, money orders, and cards, but the mix varies. Call ahead so you’re not scrambling for a money order in a post office lobby.
What’s Refundable
Passport fees are almost entirely non-refundable. If your application is denied, you don’t get the application fee or the $35 acceptance fee back. The one exception is the $60 expedited processing fee, which the State Department will refund if it fails to process your application within the expedited window.9eCFR. Title 22 Chapter I Subchapter F Part 51 Subpart D – Fees