A US passport book costs $130 for an adult renewal and $165 for a first-time adult application, which is $130 to the State Department plus a $35 acceptance fee. A child’s passport book costs $135 for a first application, and a passport card is cheaper at $30 for adults and $15 for children before the acceptance fee.
If you are asking how much is a passport, the honest answer is that the price depends on four things: your age, whether you are applying for the first time, which document you want, and how fast you need it. This guide gives the exact fee for each case, shows what the extras add, and lists the small costs people forget. Fees were checked against the State Department fee page (last updated March 19, 2026), and timing against its processing page (updated October 5, 2026). If you also need a visa, our visa cost calculator adds up those fees the same way.
How Much Is a Passport in 2026?
The State Department charges $130 for an adult passport book, $30 for an adult passport card and $160 for both. Children under 16 pay less: $100 for a book, $15 for a card and $115 for both.
Those figures are the government fee only. Two things sit on top of them depending on your case:
- A $35 acceptance fee, paid to the facility, when you apply in person with Form DS-11. Renewals by mail or online don’t carry it.
- Optional services: $60 for expedited processing and $26.87 for 1 to 3 day return delivery.
So the cheapest route to a passport is an adult renewal with no extras, at $130. The most expensive common route is a first-time adult book and card with expedite and faster delivery, at $281.87 ($160 plus $35 plus $60 plus $26.87).
How Much Does a Passport Cost in Each Situation?
Your total is the State Department fee plus $35 if you apply in person. The table shows the total for the most common cases, before any optional services.
| Situation | State Department fee | Acceptance fee | Total |
| First-time adult, book | $130 | $35 | $165 |
| First-time adult, book and card | $160 | $35 | $195 |
| First-time adult, card only | $30 | $35 | $65 |
| Child under 16, book | $100 | $35 | $135 |
| Child under 16, book and card | $115 | $35 | $150 |
| Child under 16, card only | $15 | $35 | $50 |
| Adult renewal, book | $130 | None | $130 |
| Adult renewal, book and card | $160 | None | $160 |
Add $60 to any row for expedited service, and $26.87 for faster return shipping on a book. The shipping option isn’t available for card-only applications.
How Much Is a Passport Book Compared With a Passport Card?
A passport card costs $30 for an adult and $15 for a child, which is far less than a book, but it only works for land and sea travel. A card can’t be used to board an international flight.
The card is valid for land crossings into Canada and Mexico and for some sea travel, such as certain cruises to the Caribbean and Bermuda. If you ever expect to fly abroad, buy the book. If you want both, the combined fee of $160 is only $30 more than the book alone, which is cheaper than applying for the card later and paying the fee again.
For a student heading abroad, the book is almost always the right choice, because every flight, visa stamp and embassy appointment needs it.
How Much Is a Passport for a Child?
A child’s passport book costs $100 plus the $35 acceptance fee, which is $135 in total. The book and card together cost $150 with the acceptance fee.
Children under 16 always apply in person with Form DS-11, because child passports can’t be renewed. They are valid for 5 years, compared with 10 years for an adult passport. That changes the real cost: a 10-year adult book at $130 works out to $13 a year, while a 5-year child book at $100 works out to $20 a year.
For a family of four with two adults and two children, all applying for the first time, the book fees add up like this:
- Two adults: 2 times $165, which is $330.
- Two children: 2 times $135, which is $270.
- Family total: $600 before photos, expedite or shipping.
Both parents or guardians usually attend, or the absent parent signs Form DS-3053 in front of a notary. Notary prices vary by location, so add that if it applies to you. The full list of documents is in our passport application guide.
How Much Does a Passport Renewal Cost?
An adult passport renewal costs $130 for a book, with no acceptance fee. That is $35 less than a first-time application.
Renewal by mail and online renewal cost the same: $130 for a book, $30 for a card and $160 for both. Online renewal accepts a credit or debit card, while mail renewal takes a check or money order. Adding expedite and faster return shipping gives $216.87 ($130 plus $60 plus $26.87), but online renewal can’t be expedited. Our passport renewal guide explains which route you qualify for.
How Much Does Expedited Passport Service Cost?
Expedited service costs $60 per application, and it shortens the wait from 4 to 6 weeks to 2 to 3 weeks. Mailing time is not included in either figure.
The fee is per application, not per person, so a family sending four separate applications pays it four times. Faster return shipping is a separate $26.87, and it speeds up delivery after the passport is issued, not processing. Here is what the add-ons do to a first-time adult book:
- Routine: $165.
- Expedited: $225 ($165 plus $60).
- Expedited with faster return shipping: $251.87.
If you paid for expedited service and the State Department didn’t deliver it, you can ask for a refund of that $60. Expedited service is worth it only when your travel date is inside the routine window. If you travel in more than 3 months, routine service saves $60 and delivers well before departure.
What Extra Costs Can Add to the Price?
Photos, photocopies, postage and sometimes a notary are the small costs that add to the government fee. None of them is large, but they add up across a family.
- Passport photo: stores that take photos set their own price, so check before you go. Taking it at home saves money if you follow the photo rules.
- Photocopies of your citizenship evidence and ID. A library or office printer usually charges a few cents a page.
- Check or money order: a bank or post office may charge a small fee for a money order.
- Faster mailing of your application: optional, paid to the facility, and the price varies by location.
- Notary fee for Form DS-3053 when one parent can’t attend a child’s application.
- Evidence of citizenship file search: $150, only if you need the State Department to search its records for an earlier passport.
- Certified translation of foreign-language documents, priced by the translator.
If you need a replacement birth certificate, the issuing office sets its own fee. Order it early, because it can take longer than the passport.
What About Name Changes and Corrections?
Correcting a data error with Form DS-5504 costs $0, and a name change has its own fee rules that the State Department fee calculator works out. The page doesn’t list one flat price for name changes.
If a printing mistake or data error appears on a passport you just received, you don’t pay the passport fee again. Optional services such as expedite or shipping still apply. For a name change, use the official fee calculator on travel.state.gov before you mail anything, since the right form and fee depend on how long ago your passport was issued.
How Do You Pay for a Passport?
Pay the State Department fee by check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State,” and pay the acceptance fee to the facility separately. Online renewals take a credit or debit card.
Write the applicant’s full name and date of birth on the front of the check or money order. Don’t send cash. Facilities set their own way of taking the $35 fee, so ask when you book the appointment, and don’t assume they take cards. The execution fee is non-refundable once the application is accepted, so check your documents before you hand it over.
How Can You Spend Less on a Passport?
Renew online or by mail if you qualify, choose routine service, and apply early. Those three steps avoid the $35 acceptance fee and the $60 expedite fee.
- Renew rather than start again. A renewal saves $35 compared with a first-time application, so renew before the passport expires or is damaged.
- Buy the card only if you will use it. At $30, it is worth it for regular road trips to Canada or Mexico, not for a single flight.
- Apply 3 to 4 months before you travel, so routine service is enough.
- Take your own photo if it meets the rules, instead of paying a store.
- Use official sites only. Private services add their own fee on top of the government fee, so confirm that you are on travel.state.gov.
- Bring complete paperwork, so a missing document doesn’t force a second trip.
The biggest saving is timing. A student who plans the passport and the visa together can avoid $86.87 in rush costs ($60 plus $26.87) by applying early.
How Long Does the Passport Take After You Pay?
Routine service takes 4 to 6 weeks and expedited service takes 2 to 3 weeks, plus up to 2 weeks of mailing each way. The processing time covers the work at the State Department, not the post.
For a first-time application, the facility mails your documents to the State Department, which can take up to 2 weeks. Your passport book then arrives by a trackable service. Your citizenship documents come back separately, usually within 4 weeks. Because mailing sits outside the quoted times, the routine worst case for a first application is closer to 8 weeks. To fit a passport around a visa deadline, use the visa processing time calculator.
How Do You Check the Latest Passport Fees?
Check the State Department fee page before you pay, because fees can change. The figures in this guide reflect the page as updated on March 19, 2026.
The official passport fees page is the only source you should use to confirm a number before you write a check. A wrong amount on a check can return your application and cost you weeks. Keep a note of the total, the date and the check number so you can match it to the status update later.
FAQs
How much is a passport for an adult?
A first-time adult passport book costs $165, which is $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee. An adult renewal costs $130 because there’s no acceptance fee.
How much is a passport for a child?
A child’s passport book costs $135, which is $100 plus the $35 acceptance fee. The book and card together cost $150.
How much is a passport card?
An adult passport card costs $30 and a child’s costs $15. First-time applicants add the $35 acceptance fee. The card works only for land and sea travel.
How much does it cost to expedite a passport?
Expedited service costs $60 per application. Faster return shipping costs $26.87 more, and together they bring a first-time adult book to $251.87.
Is the passport acceptance fee refundable?
No. The execution fee is non-refundable once the facility accepts your application, so check your forms, photo and documents before you hand them over.
How long is a US passport valid?
An adult passport is valid for 10 years and a child’s passport for 5 years. That makes the adult book cheaper per year.
Can I pay for a passport with a credit card?
Only for online renewals. Paper applications need a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State, and the acceptance fee depends on the facility.
Conclusion
Start with the base fee, then add what applies: $35 if you apply in person, $60 to expedite and $26.87 for faster return shipping. Most adults pay between $130 and $165, and a family of four pays about $600 for first-time books. Confirm the current amount on the State Department page before you write your check.
