A first-time adult U.S. passport book costs $165: a $130 application fee that goes to the State Department plus a $35 acceptance fee paid to the post office, library, or clerk’s office where you submit your paperwork. That’s the floor. How much it actually costs to get a US passport depends on your age, whether you want the card too, how quickly you need it, and a few expenses the government doesn’t charge but you’ll still pay.
First-Time Application Fees
First-time applicants have to apply in person and pay two separate charges: the application fee to the State Department and a $35 acceptance facility fee to the office taking your paperwork. Acceptance facilities include post offices, clerks of court, public libraries, and other local government offices.
For adults 16 and older applying for the first time:
- Passport book: $130 + $35 = $165
- Passport card: $30 + $35 = $65
- Both book and card: $160 + $35 = $195
Children under 16 pay lower application fees, but the $35 acceptance fee is the same:
- Passport book: $100 + $35 = $135
- Passport card: $15 + $35 = $50
- Both book and card: $115 + $35 = $150
Fees are current as of February 2026.1U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Both parents or guardians must appear in person with a child under 16.2U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
Renewal Fees
Renewing is cheaper because you skip the $35 acceptance fee. Adults who qualify can renew by mail or online and pay only the application fee: $130 for a book, $30 for a card, or $160 for both.3U.S. Department of State. Renew My Passport
To renew by mail or online, your most recent passport has to be in your possession, undamaged, never reported lost or stolen, issued within the last 15 years, issued when you were 16 or older, and in your current name (or you can document the change). If it fails any of those tests, you apply in person as a first-time applicant and pay the $35 acceptance fee.3U.S. Department of State. Renew My Passport
Children under 16 cannot renew. Every child’s passport is treated as a new application, in person, with the full set of fees.2U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
Online renewal through the State Department website is available to eligible adults for routine service only. The fees are the same as renewing by mail.3U.S. Department of State. Renew My Passport
Paying for Faster Service
Standard processing takes four to six weeks. Expedited service costs an extra $60 and cuts that to two to three weeks.4U.S. Department of State. Processing Times That $60 stacks on top of your application fees.
Expedited processing speeds up work at the passport agency but doesn’t change how the finished document gets to you. For faster shipping, you can add 1-to-3-day delivery for $22.05, which covers the passport book only. Passport cards ship separately by standard mail.1U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
So an adult who needs a first-time book in a hurry would pay $130 + $35 + $60 + $22.05 = $247.05, before photos or anything else.
Lost or Stolen Passports
A lost or stolen passport can’t be renewed. You apply in person using Form DS-11 (the first-time form) along with Form DS-64 to report the loss, and you pay the same fees as a new application, including the $35 acceptance fee.1U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees There’s no separate penalty, but losing the ability to renew by mail effectively costs you an extra $35 compared with a routine renewal.
Name Changes and Corrections
Printing or data errors are fixed free. You submit Form DS-5504 and pay nothing.5U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct My Passport
For a legal name change, the cost depends on timing. If both the passport and the name change happened within the past year, Form DS-5504 covers it with no application fee, though $60 still applies if you want expedited service. Past the one-year mark, you go through standard renewal or a new application at the regular fees.5U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct My Passport
Costs the State Department Doesn’t Charge
A few things add to your total that never show up on the fee schedule.
Passport photos. Every application needs a recent color photo meeting specific size and background requirements. Pharmacies, shipping stores, and some post offices produce compliant prints for roughly $7 to $17. Taking and printing your own can be cheaper if you know the specs.
Proof of citizenship. First-time applicants need a certified birth certificate or equivalent. Ordering one from your state’s vital records office generally runs $10 to $30, with extra charges possible for rush processing or online convenience fees.
Getting to an acceptance facility. Not every post office or library takes passport applications. The State Department’s searchable directory at iafdb.travel.state.gov shows where to go.6U.S. Department of State. Acceptance Facility Search
Book, Card, or Both
The passport book is the standard document, valid for all international air, land, and sea travel. The passport card is cheaper ($30 for adults, $15 for children) but only works for land and sea crossings into Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. It’s not valid for any international flight.1U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
If you fly internationally at all, you need the book. The card makes sense as a wallet-sized backup for people who regularly drive across the Canadian or Mexican border or take Caribbean cruises. Applying for both together saves money over getting them separately because you pay only one acceptance fee.
What Your Money Buys
Adult passports (age 16 and up) are valid for 10 years. Children’s passports are valid for 5.7U.S. Department of State. Passport FAQs The shorter validity, plus the fact that children can’t renew by mail and pay the $35 acceptance fee every time, works out to roughly $27 per year of validity for a child’s book compared with about $16.50 per year for an adult’s.