How Much Does a Passport Cost?
How much does a passport cost in the United States? We will answer this question in detail breaking it down into passport types. The process of getting a US passport may seem a bit complicated. One thing that isn’t complicated at all is the fee structure for US passports. For an adult which include everyone over the age of 15, the base fee for a passport book for adults, aged 16 and over is $110. The price is the same for passport renewals and replacing lost, stolen, or damaged passports.
That is the base cost. There will be an additional fee of $35.00 assess for first-time passports as well as replacement passports. This fee is the execution fee, and it covers the costs of verifying identity, transmitting applications, administering the oath, etc. Renewal passports are not charged the $35 execution fee.
Passport cards are also available to adults. The fee for a passport card for an adult is $30 with a $35 execution fee for the first-time issuance but not for renewals.
Passport Cost for Minors – Including all Applicants under age 16
Passport books for children, considered to be anyone under the age of 16, cost $80 for the first passport, passport renewals, and passport replacements. Original passports and passport replacements will also have the same $35 execution fee to verify identities and other responsibilities. Like adult passport books, there are no execution fees for passport book renewals.
Minors may also apply for passport cards. The fee for passport cards for children is $15 for the first issue and renewals with a $35 execution fee assessed for the original card.
Other Passport Fees to Consider
The fees above are for the passport books, cards, and execution of the books and cards alone. There are additional fees to obtaining a passport, including those listed below.
Passport Cost for Expedited Service
The average passport takes around six weeks to process but can take up to eight weeks. For people who need their passports faster, there is the option of paying for expedited processing through either a registered expediting agency or a regional passport agency. The fee is $60 and will cut the time in half, at a minimum, meaning you will either receive your passport or a denial letter within three weeks. The $60 expedited delivery fee is for each application and is in force whether it’s a new issue, renewal, or replacement passport book or passport card.
Overnight Shipping Fees
The U.S. Department of State strongly encourages people ordering passport books to use overnight delivery for their passport books. This is a service that’s only available for the books and not for the passport cards (which will be shipped via first class mail). The fee for overnight delivery is $20.66 and applies to each application.
As you can see, U.S. Passport fees are relatively straightforward and easy to understand.