US Passport Fees 2026: What a New Passport, Renewal or Card Really Costs
A clear breakdown of US passport fees: application, execution, expedite and delivery, with examples for a single adult, a child and a family.
US Passport Fees: What a New Passport, Renewal or Card Really Costs
A US passport looks cheap until the second fee appears at the counter. Fees are paid in two places, they depend on age and type, and speed costs extra. The US Passport Fee Calculator adds them up for one person or a whole family before you leave the house.
The two fees that almost everyone pays
The application fee goes to the Department of State. For an adult passport book it is $130; for a child under 16 it is $100. A passport card costs $30 for an adult and $15 for a child.
The execution fee, $35, goes to the acceptance facility, such as a post office or a county clerk, that checks your identity and witnesses the application. It applies to first-time adult applications, to children under 16 and to replacements of a lost or damaged passport. An adult who qualifies to renew by mail does not pay it.
Book or card
The book works for every trip: air, sea and land, anywhere in the world. The card is cheaper, but it is valid only for land and sea crossings with Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, and it cannot be used on a flight. Some people get both, which means two application fees and, for a first-time application, two execution fees.
Speed
Routine service costs nothing extra, but takes weeks. Expedited service adds $60 for each application. Faster delivery of the finished passport, one to two days, has an additional charge of about $22 for a book. If you need the passport in days, rather than weeks, ask at a passport agency with proof of urgent travel; the tool does not model that.
How to use the calculator
- Choose the application type: first-time adult, adult renewal, child under 16, or lost, stolen or damaged.
- Choose the book, the card or both.
- Choose routine or expedited service and tick overnight delivery if you want it.
- Enter the number of people and any photo or postage cost per person.
The result shows the cost per person, the total, and how much of it goes to the Department of State and how much to the facility. A small bar shows the split.
Worked examples
A first-time adult passport book on routine service costs $130 plus $35, which is $165. With expedited service it is $225, and with overnight delivery on top about $247. A child's first passport book costs $100 plus $35, $135. An adult renewing by mail pays $130 only.
For a family of four where two adults renew by mail and two children apply for the first time, run the tool once for the adults (two people, renewal) for $260, and once for the children (two people, minor) for $270. The family total is $530 for routine service.
Mistakes that delay an application
- Paying the two fees with the wrong method. The government fee usually needs a check or money order, and the facility has its own payment rules.
- Applying for a renewal by mail when you must apply in person, for example if your passport was issued when you were under 16.
- Forgetting the photo, which must meet the State Department's size and background rules.
Keep the numbers current
Fees are adjusted from time to time. The table in the tool can be edited, so you can type a new fee without waiting for an update, and the date at the top shows when the figures were last reviewed. Always check travel.state.gov before you pay. This is an estimate and not an official statement of fees.
