Fees verified against travel.state.gov on August 31, 2026.
A first-time adult passport book costs $165. That is a $130 application fee paid to the U.S. Department of State, plus a $35 acceptance fee paid to the facility that takes your application. A renewal by mail costs $130 and has no acceptance fee. A child’s passport book costs $135, with the option to add $60 to expedite if you need it faster.
Those are the U.S. government fees, and everyone pays them. If your trip is coming up fast, we can help: we’re The Passport Office, a registered courier service, and we hand-carry urgent applications to a U.S. passport agency, often turning them around in days. You still pay the government fees, and our service fee is on top of that, based on how quickly you need it. See how we speed things up.
What you’ll pay at a glance
Adults (16 and older)
| What you’re applying for | Form | Application fee (to State Dept) | Acceptance fee (to facility) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First passport book | DS-11 | $130 | $35 | $165 |
| First passport card | DS-11 | $30 | $35 | $65 |
| First book + card | DS-11 | $160 | $35 | $195 |
| Renew book (by mail) | DS-82 | $130 | none | $130 |
| Renew card (by mail) | DS-82 | $30 | none | $30 |
| Renew book + card (by mail) | DS-82 | $160 | none | $160 |
Children (under 16). Always Form DS-11, always in person, and the acceptance fee always applies.
| What you’re applying for | Application fee | Acceptance fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport book | $100 | $35 | $135 |
| Passport card | $15 | $35 | $50 |
| Book + card | $115 | $35 | $150 |
Optional government fees
| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Expedite | $60 | You want faster-than-routine processing. Paid per application, on top of the fees above. |
| File search | $150 | You can’t provide proof of prior U.S. citizenship or a prior passport. |
All figures are the amounts set by and paid to the U.S. government, current as of August 31, 2026. The State Department can change them, so check travel.state.gov/passportfees for the live chart. Jump to how to pay or a worked total.
What a new passport costs (first-time applicants)
You apply as a first-time applicant if this is your first U.S. passport, if your last one was issued when you were under 16, if it was issued more than 15 years ago, or if it was lost, stolen, or damaged. In every one of those cases you apply in person with Form DS-11 and pay two separate fees.
- Application fee, paid to the U.S. Department of State: $130 for a book, $30 for a card, $160 for both.
- Acceptance (execution) fee, a flat $35 paid to the post office, library, or clerk’s office that accepts your application. It’s the same $35 no matter what you’re applying for.
| First-time adult | Application | + Acceptance | = Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book | $130 | $35 | $165 |
| Card | $30 | $35 | $65 |
| Book + card | $160 | $35 | $195 |
You pay the two fees to two different places, often in two forms of payment, so see How to pay. The card is cheaper, but it only works for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, and it is not valid for international flights.
These are U.S. government fees. Passport photos, however, are a separate charge of about $10 to $20 unless you bring your own.
What it costs to renew (Form DS-82)
You can renew by mail with Form DS-82, and skip the $35 acceptance fee, if all of these are true: your most recent passport is undamaged, you have it in hand, it was issued when you were 16 or older, and it was issued within the last 15 years.
| Renew by mail (adult) | Fee (application only) |
|---|---|
| Book | $130 |
| Card | $30 |
| Book + card | $160 |
There is no acceptance fee on a mail-in renewal, because no one has to verify your identity in person. Your old passport does that. If you don’t meet the DS-82 conditions, though, you renew as a first-time applicant instead: Form DS-11, in person, and the $35 comes back.
A name or data correction is often free. For example, you can usually update the passport at no cost within one year of the issue date using Form DS-5504, as long as you send the supporting document such as a marriage certificate or court order. After a year, though, standard renewal fees apply. Check the current rule on travel.state.gov before you file.
These are U.S. government fees, current as of August 31, 2026.
Child and minor passport fees (under 16)
Every child under 16 applies in person with Form DS-11, and the $35 acceptance fee always applies. There is no mail-in renewal for a minor.
| Child passport (under 16) | Application | + Acceptance | = Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book | $100 | $35 | $135 |
| Card | $15 | $35 | $50 |
| Book + card | $115 | $35 | $150 |
A child’s book costs less than an adult’s, $100 versus $130 for the application fee, but it is only valid for five years instead of ten. In addition, both parents or guardians generally must consent, in person or with a notarized Form DS-3053.
These are U.S. government fees, current as of August 31, 2026.
The acceptance (execution) fee, explained
The $35 acceptance fee, which the State Department also calls the execution fee, pays for the in-person step where an authorized agent checks your ID, watches you sign the application, and seals it.
- You pay it any time you apply on Form DS-11: first passports, all minors, replacing a lost or stolen passport, or a renewal that doesn’t qualify for DS-82.
- You skip it on a DS-82 mail-in renewal, because there is no in-person step.
- The fee is a flat $35 regardless of book, card, or both, and regardless of age.
- It goes to the acceptance facility (post office, library, county clerk), not the State Department, which is why it is a separate payment.
Some facilities also sell passport photos. However, they cannot charge an extra “processing” or “handling” fee beyond the $35, because that amount is set by the government.
Getting your passport faster
Routine processing takes about 4 to 6 weeks. Paying the government’s $60 expedite fee cuts that to about 2 to 3 weeks. Neither figure includes mailing time, though, so allow roughly two weeks each way. Both estimates are current as of August 31, 2026, so check travel.state.gov for the live number.
The $60 expedite fee is paid per application to the U.S. Department of State, in addition to every fee above. A first-time adult book, expedited, comes to $165 + $60 = $225 in government fees, and still takes about 2 to 3 weeks plus mailing.
Traveling sooner than that? That’s what we do.
We’re The Passport Office, a registered courier service. When you need a passport in days, we take your completed paperwork and hand-carry it to a U.S. passport agency for you. You still pay the government fees, including the $60 to expedite, and our service fee is on top of that, based on how fast you need it. See current pricing and turnaround on our new passport and renewal pages.
For a fuller comparison of the $60 expedite against a courier hand-carry, see our expedited passport guide.
Other fees people ask about
- Lost or stolen passport. You replace it as a first-time applicant: Form DS-11 in person, so the full $165 for a book, plus a filed Form DS-64. You cannot renew a lost passport by mail.
- Second passport. A limited-validity second book costs the standard $130 book application fee, usually on DS-82 with a letter of explanation.
- Extra visa pages. No longer offered. The State Department stopped adding pages in 2016. U.S. books now come with more pages, and if you run out you renew.
- Damaged passport. Treated as a new application: DS-11, in person, $165 for a book, plus a signed statement about the damage.
- Passport photos. $0 if you bring a compliant photo, or about $10 to $20 otherwise.
How to pay your passport fees
You often make two payments in two forms. First, the application fee (DS-11 or DS-82) goes to the U.S. Department of State, and it must be a check or money order, so no cash and no card. The $35 acceptance fee instead goes to the facility, which usually takes a card, check, or money order, and some take cash. Call ahead to be sure.
Most first-time applicants pay the State Department by money order, because the application fee can’t go on a card. How to get and fill out a money order for your passport covers where to buy one, what it costs, and how to fill it out line by line.
Worked example: total cost by situation
Government fees only. Verified August 31, 2026. The State Department’s fee calculator gives an official breakdown.
| Situation | Government fees |
|---|---|
| First-time adult, book, routine | $130 + $35 = $165 |
| First-time adult, book, expedited | $130 + $35 + $60 = $225 |
| Adult renewal by mail, book, routine | $130 |
| Adult renewal by mail, book, expedited | $130 + $60 = $190 |
| Family of four, all first-time books, routine | 2 adults ($165) + 2 children ($135) = $600 |
| One child’s first book, expedited | $100 + $35 + $60 = $195 |
If you have us hand-carry any of these to an agency for faster turnaround, add our service fee on top. It depends on how fast you need it, so see current pricing and turnaround.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a U.S. passport in 2026?
A first-time adult passport book is $165 in government fees: a $130 application fee plus a $35 acceptance fee. A renewal by mail is $130, and a child’s book is $135. Expediting adds $60 on top. All figures were verified against travel.state.gov on August 31, 2026.
Why are there two payments?
The application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State and covers producing the passport. The $35 acceptance fee, by contrast, goes to the facility that verifies your identity in person. They are different parties, so they take separate payments. The State Department’s share also can’t go on a card.
Is the $35 acceptance fee refundable if my application is denied?
No. The $35 pays for the in-person acceptance step, which happens regardless of the outcome. The application fee is generally non-refundable too.
Do children pay the same as adults?
No. A child’s book application fee is $100, versus $130 for an adult, and the book is valid for 5 years instead of 10. The $35 acceptance fee is the same, though, and it always applies to a minor.
How much does it cost to get a passport fast?
Adding the government’s $60 expedite fee brings a first-time adult book to about $225, though that route still takes roughly 2 to 3 weeks plus mailing. So when you need it sooner, we hand-carry your application to a passport agency for you and can often turn it around in days. You pay the same government fees either way, and our service fee is on top, based on how fast you need it. See our current pricing and turnaround.
Can I pay passport fees with a credit card?
Not the State Department’s application fee. That is check or money order only. You can usually put the $35 acceptance fee on a card, though, along with our service fee if you use us.
Need a passport in days, not weeks? We’re a registered courier service, and we hand-carry urgent applications to a U.S. passport agency. You still pay all government fees, and our service fee is separate and depends on your timeline. See current pricing and turnaround.