Make the check payable to the U.S. Department of State, written out in full with no abbreviations. That is who you make a passport check out to for the application fee itself. If you’re applying in person on Form DS-11, you’ll also need a second payment of $35 for the acceptance facility’s execution fee, and that one goes to the facility, not to the State Department. At a U.S. Post Office, the second check is made payable to Postmaster.1USPS. Passport Application and Passport Renewal
How to Write the Application Fee Check
On the payee line, write “U.S. Department of State” exactly that way. Skip shortcuts like “DOS,” “Dept. of State,” or “State Department.” A check made out to the wrong payee cannot be deposited into the correct Treasury account, and your application will come back to you.2Travel.State.Gov. Apply for Your Adult Passport
Add the applicant’s full legal name and date of birth on the front of the check, either in the memo area or elsewhere on the front, so the payment can be matched to the application if the two get separated in processing.2Travel.State.Gov. Apply for Your Adult Passport3Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport by Mail The name must match your application form exactly, including any middle name or initial.
If someone else is writing the check for you, that doesn’t change what goes in the memo. It’s still the applicant’s name and date of birth, not the check-writer’s. The State Department needs to connect the payment to the application, not to whoever holds the bank account.
A money order works as an alternative to a personal check. Cash does not. Never mail cash with a passport application.3Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport by Mail
The Second Check for In-Person Applications
Anyone applying with Form DS-11 — first-time adult applicants, children under 16, and anyone not eligible to renew by mail — pays two fees. The application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State. A separate $35 execution fee goes to the acceptance facility where you sign your application in person.4Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
At a U.S. Post Office, make the execution-fee check payable to “Postmaster.”1USPS. Passport Application and Passport Renewal At a county clerk’s office, library, or other acceptance facility, the payee is different, and the accepted payment methods vary. Some facilities take only checks or money orders; others accept cards or cash. Call the facility before your appointment and ask two things: who to write the $35 check to, and what forms of payment they accept.4Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
If you’re renewing by mail on Form DS-82, there is no execution fee. You only write the one check, to the U.S. Department of State.3Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport by Mail
When You Shouldn’t Write a Check at All
Two situations call for a different payment method entirely.
Regional passport agencies, which handle urgent and expedited in-person requests, do not accept checks. Payment must be made by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover), a Visa or Mastercard debit card, or contactless payment such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.4Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
Online renewal, when you qualify for it, is paid by credit or debit card through the State Department’s portal. No check is involved. You can use online renewal if your current passport was valid for 10 years, is expiring within one year or expired less than five years ago, you’re 25 or older, you aren’t changing your name or other personal information, you aren’t traveling for at least six weeks, and you’re located in a U.S. state or territory.5Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport Online
Applying from a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad? Accepted payment methods vary by post, so contact the specific embassy or consulate before you go.4Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
What Happens to Your Check After You Mail It
A check mailed with a passport application isn’t deposited the traditional way. The State Department converts it to an electronic fund transfer: staff copy the check, use the account information to debit your bank account electronically, and then destroy the original. The debit usually posts within 24 hours and shows up on your regular bank statement. You will not get the paper check back.6U.S. Department of Commerce. DS-82 U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals
If that transfer fails because of insufficient funds, the Department may retry up to two more times and will charge a one-time $25 fee, also collected electronically.6U.S. Department of Commerce. DS-82 U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals Confirm your balance before you mail the application.
One Check for Multiple Family Members
If several people in your household are renewing by mail at the same time, you can put all the DS-82 applications in one envelope and pay with a single check or money order for the combined total.3Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport by Mail List every applicant’s name and date of birth on the check so each payment can be tied to the right file.
For in-person DS-11 applications, it doesn’t consolidate as cleanly. Each applicant still gets their own application-fee check to the U.S. Department of State, and each one owes a separate $35 execution fee to the acceptance facility.
Getting the Amount Right
The payee only matters if the amount is also correct. As of February 2026, the adult passport book application fee is $130 and the passport card is $30; children under 16 pay $100 for the book and $15 for the card. The execution fee is $35 for anyone applying in person. Expedited processing adds $60, and 1–3 day return delivery adds $22.05.4Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees Write the application-fee total on the check to the U.S. Department of State, and keep the $35 execution fee on a separate check to the facility.