How Much Is a Passport: Adult, Child, and Renewal Fees

A first-time adult U.S. passport book costs $165: a $130 application fee that goes to the State Department plus a $35 acceptance facility fee paid where you apply in person. Renewals are $130 because you skip the in-person visit. Those are the base prices, and the real answer to how much a passport is depends on which document you need, how fast you need it, and whether you pay for photos and faster delivery.¹

The Two Fees Behind Every Passport

Most passport transactions involve two separate payments. The application fee covers the passport itself and goes to the U.S. Department of State. The $35 acceptance facility fee goes to the location handling your in-person application, usually a post office, county clerk, or public library. That facility checks your ID, witnesses your signature, and forwards your paperwork.¹

The facility fee applies whenever you use Form DS-11, which is required for first-time applicants, children, and anyone who can’t renew by mail. If you qualify to renew by mail or online, there’s no in-person step and no facility fee. One other exception: if you apply at a regional passport agency for urgent travel, the $35 facility fee does not apply, though the $60 expedited fee still does.¹

First-Time Adult Passport Prices

Anyone 16 or older who has never held a U.S. passport applies in person on Form DS-11 and pays both fees.²

Passport book: $130 application fee plus $35 facility fee, totaling $165.
Passport card: $30 application fee plus $35 facility fee, totaling $65.
Book and card together: $160 application fee plus $35 facility fee, totaling $195.

Ordering both in a single visit saves money because the $35 facility fee is charged once per transaction. Applying separately would run $230. Adult passports are valid for ten years.²

The card is cheaper but limited: it works only for land and sea entry from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and some Caribbean countries, and it cannot be used for international air travel. Most travelers need the book.³

Renewal Prices

Renewing costs less because there’s no facility fee. The fees are the same whether you renew by mail or online, and both are paid directly to the State Department.

Passport book renewal: $130.
Passport card renewal: $30.
Book and card renewed together: $160.

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Who Can Renew by Mail

Renewal by mail is available if your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, was issued within the last 15 years, is undamaged, has never been reported lost or stolen, and was issued in your current name (or you can document a name change). Damage beyond normal wear disqualifies you from renewal, meaning you file a new DS-11 and pay the $35 facility fee again.⁴

Online Renewal

Online renewal is available if you’re 25 or older, are not changing your name or other information, have your current undamaged passport in hand, are located in a U.S. state or territory, and don’t need to travel for at least six weeks. Only routine processing is offered, and you can only renew the type of document you already have. Prices match mail renewal: $130 for a book, $30 for a card, $160 for both.⁵

Passports for Children Under 16

Children under 16 always apply in person on Form DS-11, and both parents or guardians must appear and consent. If one parent can’t attend, extra documentation is required.⁶

Passport book: $100 application fee plus $35 facility fee, totaling $135.
Passport card: $15 application fee plus $35 facility fee, totaling $50.
Book and card together: $115 application fee plus $35 facility fee, totaling $150.

Children’s passports are valid for five years and cannot be renewed by mail. Each time one expires, you start over with a fresh in-person application and pay the full set of fees. A child who first gets a passport as a baby will go through four applications before turning 16.⁶

Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passport

A lost, stolen, or damaged passport can’t be renewed. You reapply in person on Form DS-11 and pay both fees, so the cost matches a first-time application: $165 for a book, $65 for a card, or $195 for both.¹

Water stains, significant tears, missing visa pages, hole punches, and unofficial markings on the data page all count as damage.⁴

If you previously held a passport but can’t submit it and the record was issued before 1994, the State Department charges a $150 file search fee to locate the record and verify citizenship. That’s on top of the standard application and facility fees.¹

Paying to Get It Faster

Routine processing runs four to six weeks, not counting mailing time in either direction, which can add roughly two weeks each way.⁷

Expedited Processing

Paying an extra $60 gets expedited processing, which cuts State Department time to two to three weeks. Mail transit is still on top of that. You can also pay $22.05 for 1-3 day delivery of the finished book once it ships, which trims return transit. Faster delivery is available only for the book; cards ship by regular First Class Mail.¹

Stacked together, a first-time adult book with expediting and fast delivery comes to $247.05: $130 application fee, $35 facility fee, $60 expedited fee, and $22.05 delivery. That’s the realistic ceiling for someone in a hurry.

Urgent Travel at a Passport Agency

If you’re traveling internationally within 14 calendar days, you can book an appointment at a regional passport agency. The expedited fee is still $60 and the application fees are unchanged, but agencies don’t charge the $35 facility fee, so the total comes in slightly lower than expediting through a post office. Bring proof of your upcoming travel, such as a flight itinerary. Agencies accept only credit cards, debit cards, or contactless payments like Apple Pay; no checks or money orders.¹

Passport Photo Costs

You need one recent color photo, 2 x 2 inches, taken within the last six months, on a white or off-white background.⁸

Retail passport photo services generally run $12 to $17 for two prints. Post offices with passport acceptance typically charge $15, pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens run around $16.99, and shipping stores tend to be slightly less. Taking the photo yourself is free beyond printing costs, but the State Department will reject photos that are blurry, digitally altered, or filtered.

How to Pay

The method matters, because it varies by where you apply. The application fee to the State Department must be a check or money order made payable to “U.S. Department of State” when applying in person or by mail. Online renewals accept credit and debit cards.¹

The $35 facility fee is a separate payment to the facility itself. Post offices generally accept checks, money orders, debit cards, and credit cards, though this can vary by location. A check for the facility fee is written to the facility (for a post office, “Postmaster”), not to the State Department.

Regional passport agencies accept only credit cards, debit cards, and contactless payments such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. Checks, money orders, and cash are not accepted.¹

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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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. How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos