A money order to pay for a U.S. passport costs $2.55 when you buy it at the post office, as long as the amount is $500 or less. Every standard passport fee falls under that ceiling, so $2.55 is what almost every applicant pays on top of the passport fee itself.
What USPS Charges
The U.S. Postal Service charges $2.55 for a domestic money order up to $500 and $3.60 for amounts between $500.01 and $1,000.1USPS. Notice 123 – Price List A single USPS money order maxes out at $1,000, which is more than any passport transaction will ever require.2USPS. Money Orders
The largest single passport fee most people pay is $130 for an adult book. Even if you bundle that with the $60 expedited service fee and the $22.05 1–3 day delivery fee on one money order, the total is $212.05, still comfortably in the $2.55 tier. USPS money orders also never expire, so a delay in your application doesn’t invalidate the payment.3USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
Buying One Somewhere Other Than the Post Office
Grocery stores, convenience stores, and big-box retailers that partner with Western Union or MoneyGram sell money orders too, typically for $1 to $5 depending on the location. Banks and credit unions may issue them free to account holders or for a small flat fee. For a passport application, where you buy it doesn’t matter, so long as it’s drawn on a U.S. financial institution. A money order that can’t be verified as drawn on a U.S. bank will be rejected and returned.4Foreign Affairs Manual. Passport Fees
Figuring Out the Amount Before You Buy
Write the money order for the exact fees you owe the Department of State. Overpaying doesn’t speed anything up; it creates a processing issue. The current fees are:5U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
- Adult passport book: $130
- Adult passport card: $30
- Adult book and card: $160
- Child (under 16) book: $100
- Child card: $15
- Child book and card: $115
- Expedited processing: $60
- 1–3 day delivery (books only): $22.05
Renewal fees match the new-application fees for the book and card. So if you’re renewing an adult book by mail with expedited service, your money order is $190. First-time book with expedited plus fast delivery: $212.05.
Why First-Time Applicants Need Two Payments, Not One
If you’re applying with Form DS-11 (first-time adults and all children), you owe two separate fees to two different recipients. The passport application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State. The $35 acceptance fee goes directly to the facility where you apply in person.5U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees You cannot combine them onto one money order.
The money order you buy for $2.55 covers only the application fee. For the $35 acceptance fee, each facility sets its own accepted payment methods, so ask before you go. Some accept money orders, others take only checks or credit cards. Showing up with a single money order that lumps both fees together will get you sent home.
Mail-in renewals with Form DS-82 skip this problem. You send one payment to the Department of State and never visit a facility.6U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
How to Fill Out the Money Order So It Isn’t Rejected
A $2.55 money order can hold up your application for weeks if it’s filled out wrong. Use blue or black ink and check each field:
- Payee line: write “U.S. Department of State” in full. No abbreviations like “Dept. of State” or “State Department.”5U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
- Dollar amount: enter the exact total in both the numerical box and the written-out line.
- Memo line: the applicant’s full legal name and date of birth. If you’re applying directly at a passport agency or center rather than an acceptance facility, add the application number.4Foreign Affairs Manual. Passport Fees
- Purchaser section: the applicant’s name and address.
- Signature: sign only in the purchaser field on the front. The endorsement line on the back is for the payee.
Detach and keep the receipt stub. Its serial number is what you’ll need if the money order is ever lost or has to be traced.
A few other things get money orders bounced: any amount that doesn’t match the exact fees owed, foreign money orders that can’t be verified against a U.S. routing number, a blank memo line that leaves the payment unmatched to an application, and any discoloration or damage around the dollar amounts, which the Department of State treats as a sign of tampering. Don’t fold, staple, or paper-clip through the money order.
When You Don’t Need a Money Order at All
Eligible adults can renew a passport online and pay by credit or debit card. Online renewal doesn’t accept money orders.7U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online The passport fees are the same, but you skip the $2.55 purchase and any risk of a money order error. If you qualify, that’s the cheapest and cleanest route.