Several federal rules touching U.S. passports have shifted recently, and the new passport laws worth knowing about fall into four buckets: REAL ID enforcement now makes a passport the easiest backup ID for domestic flights, the State Department has narrowed the gender marker options on new passports, Europe is about to require a pre-travel authorization from American visitors, and long-standing federal rules can still deny or revoke your passport over unpaid tax debt, child support arrears, or certain drug convictions. Processing times and fees have their own current numbers worth checking before you apply.
REAL ID Enforcement Makes Your Passport a Domestic ID
Full enforcement of the REAL ID Act began on May 7, 2025. A standard state driver’s license that isn’t REAL ID–compliant will no longer get you through a TSA checkpoint for a domestic flight, and travelers without compliant IDs can expect delays, additional screening, or to be turned away from the security line.1Transportation Security Administration. TSA Begins REAL ID Full Enforcement on May 7 Congress passed the law back in 2005, but the enforcement deadline was pushed back repeatedly. That grace period is over.
A REAL ID–compliant license carries a star or similar marking in the upper corner. If yours doesn’t have one, you can visit your state DMV to upgrade, or you can carry a different federally accepted ID at the checkpoint. TSA accepts a long list of alternatives, including a U.S. passport book, a U.S. passport card, a military ID, a Global Entry or other trusted traveler card, and a permanent resident card, among others.2Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint The passport card, at $30 for a first-time adult applicant plus the $35 acceptance facility fee, is a relatively inexpensive backup for anyone who hasn’t upgraded their license.
When the Government Can Deny or Revoke Your Passport
A passport is not unconditional property once issued. Federal law gives the government several grounds to deny a new passport, refuse a renewal, or revoke one already in your hands.
Seriously Delinquent Tax Debt
When someone owes a large enough unpaid federal tax debt, the IRS certifies that debt to the State Department, which then denies or revokes the person’s passport. The statutory base threshold is $50,000, adjusted annually for inflation.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies For 2026, the adjusted threshold is approximately $66,000, including penalties and interest. The IRS sends a Notice CP508C when it certifies a debt, and the State Department typically holds passport applications for 90 days to give the applicant time to resolve the issue.
Not every tax debt triggers certification. You are protected if you have an active installment agreement, a pending offer in compromise, an account in currently-not-collectible status, a pending collection due process hearing, or a requested innocent spouse relief.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies The rule targets people who owe a lot and have done nothing about it, not people working through a payment plan.
Past-Due Child Support
Owing more than $2,500 in child support arrears is enough. Once the state child support agency certifies that debt to the federal government, the State Department is directed to refuse or revoke the passport.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 652 – Duties of Secretary The $2,500 threshold is dramatically lower than the tax debt figure, and it catches applicants off guard, often at the counter, when they apply for a passport for a planned vacation and learn there is a hold on the file.
Certain Drug Convictions
A federal or state drug felony conviction blocks passport issuance while the person is imprisoned or on supervised release, but only if a passport was used or an international border was crossed in committing the offense.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers The State Department can apply the same restriction to some drug misdemeanors on a case-by-case basis, though a first-time misdemeanor for simple possession is specifically excluded. Once the sentence and any supervised release are complete, the restriction lifts.
Gender Marker Policy Change
The State Department no longer issues passports with an “X” gender marker. As of 2025, new passports are issued only with an “M” or “F” designation matching the applicant’s biological sex at birth. In November 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed a lower-court injunction that had challenged the policy, and the restriction remains in effect.6U.S. Department of State. Sex Marker in Passports Passports previously issued with an “X” marker remain valid travel documents until they expire, but any renewal or new application will now receive an M or F designation only.
European Travel Authorization Coming in Late 2026
Americans still do not need a visa for short visits to most European countries in the Schengen Area. That is not changing. What is changing is an added pre-travel step. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System, or ETIAS, is scheduled to begin operations in the last quarter of 2026.7European Union. What Is ETIAS The launch has been delayed multiple times, so the date could move again.
When ETIAS launches, you apply online, provide personal background information, and pay a fee of €20 (approximately $22). The authorization is valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.7European Union. What Is ETIAS Without an approved ETIAS, airlines can deny you boarding and border officers can turn you away on arrival. It functions as a quick pre-screening similar to the ESTA system the United States requires of visa-waiver travelers, not as a full visa.
Current Fees and Processing Times
Fees current as of February 2026 for the most common applications:8U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
- Adult passport book, first-time: $130 application fee plus a $35 acceptance facility fee, totaling $165.
- Adult passport book, renewal: $130, with no facility fee since renewals go by mail or online.
- Adult passport card, first-time: $30 plus the $35 facility fee.
- Adult passport card, renewal: $30.
- Child passport book (under 16): $100 plus the $35 facility fee.
- Expedited processing: an additional $60 per application.
- 1-to-3-day delivery: $22.05.
Both the application fee and the acceptance facility fee are nonrefundable, even if the passport is not issued.8U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees If an application is denied over a documentation problem, the money does not come back.
Routine processing runs four to six weeks in 2026. Expedited processing runs two to three weeks with the $60 add-on.9U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passports These windows shift with demand; summer months and periods following policy changes tend to produce backlogs. Do not assume you are safe at the five-week mark for a trip that is close.
Faster help is available at regional passport agencies for travelers going abroad within 14 calendar days or needing a foreign visa within 28 calendar days. Proof of the travel itinerary is required to qualify.10U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency A separate emergency track handles life-or-death situations, meaning an immediate family member abroad who has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness, and requires documentation such as a hospital letter or death certificate.