How Much Does an Emergency Passport Cost? Adult and Child Fees

An emergency passport cost for an adult first-time applicant runs about $225 to $247, depending on whether you pick it up at the passport agency or pay for expedited delivery. That total combines a $130 application fee paid to the State Department, a $35 acceptance fee paid to the facility, and a $60 expedited processing fee, plus an optional $22.05 for 1-to-3-day delivery. If you qualify to renew rather than apply fresh, you skip the $35 acceptance fee and pay less.

Adult Fees Broken Down

The State Department doesn’t charge an “emergency” surcharge. You pay the same fees you would for a routine passport; the difference is that you pay them at a passport agency instead of a post office, and you get the book in days rather than weeks.¹

First-Time Applicants

If you’ve never held a passport, your last one was issued before you turned 16, or your previous passport was lost or stolen, you file Form DS-11 in person. You’ll pay $130 to the Department of State for the passport book and $35 to the facility for accepting the application. Add the $60 expedited fee and the base cost is $225. Choose 1-to-3-day delivery instead of picking the passport up at the agency and the total becomes $247.05.¹

Renewal-Eligible Applicants

You may qualify to renew using Form DS-82 if your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, is undamaged, and was issued within the last 15 years. Renewers pay the $130 application fee and the $60 expedited fee, but skip the $35 acceptance fee. That’s $190 for pickup, or $212.05 with delivery.¹

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Passport

Replacing a lost or stolen passport always requires Form DS-11 and an in-person application, even if your prior passport would otherwise have been renewal-eligible. You pay the full first-time fees: $130 to the State Department, $35 to the acceptance facility, and $60 for expedited processing.²

Child Fees Under 16

Children under 16 pay a lower application fee of $100 for a passport book, plus the same $35 facility acceptance fee. With the $60 expedited processing fee, the base cost is $195, or $217.05 with delivery. Children always use Form DS-11; there is no renewal-by-mail option for minors.³

Emergency Fees at a Glance

Adult first-time (DS-11): $225 pickup, $247.05 with delivery
Adult renewal (DS-82): $190 pickup, $212.05 with delivery
Adult lost or stolen (DS-11): $225 pickup, $247.05 with delivery
Child under 16 (DS-11): $195 pickup, $217.05 with delivery

You Have to Qualify to Pay These Fees

Paying an expedited fee at a regular acceptance facility gets you a passport in two to three weeks by mail. Same-day or few-day service requires an in-person appointment at one of the roughly two dozen passport agencies and centers, and the State Department only books those appointments if you fit one of two categories.⁴

The first is a life-or-death emergency: an immediate family member abroad has died, is dying or in hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. The second is urgent travel, meaning international departure within 14 calendar days, or within 28 days if you also need a foreign visa. Without one of these situations, the emergency-appointment door doesn’t open, no matter what you’re willing to pay.⁴

Fees Are Non-Refundable

Before you commit, know that none of these fees come back if things fall through. The State Department collects both the application fee and the acceptance fee by law and keeps them even if a passport is not issued.¹

That matters more than usual in an emergency scenario, because missing documents are the main reason applications stall at the agency window. If you show up without proof of citizenship, valid identity, a qualifying photo, evidence of your travel, or (for life-or-death appointments) documentation of the family emergency, you may lose the appointment and the money with it. If you’re replacing a lost or stolen passport, you’ll also need Form DS-64 to report the loss, and after 120 days from the original passport’s issuance you must reapply and pay all fees again.²

Costs Are Different if You’re Already Abroad

The fee schedule above applies to emergency passports issued inside the United States. If you’re outside the country and your passport is lost, stolen, or damaged, the process runs through your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, and fees and payment methods vary by post. Some embassies accept cash in U.S. dollars or local currency and certain credit cards, but the options aren’t uniform worldwide. Check the specific embassy’s website for its current fee and accepted payment methods before you go.⁵

Emergency passports issued at a consulate abroad are typically valid for one year or less rather than the standard ten years for adults; the State Department refers to these as limited-validity passports. Emergency passports issued domestically at a passport agency are often full-validity, though the outcome depends on the circumstances. A limited-validity passport can usually be exchanged for a full-validity one after your trip at no charge using Form DS-5504, so the shorter validity itself doesn’t add to what you pay up front.⁶⁷

1
U.S. Department of State. 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. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State. How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Passport Outside the United States
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U.S. Department of State. 8 FAM 101.1 – Introduction to U.S. Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad
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U.S. Department of State. DS-5504 – Application for a U.S. Passport for Eligible Individuals