How Much Does a U.S. Passport Cost in 2026? Fees, Prices, and Updated Rates

Key Takeaways

• A first-time adult passport book costs $165 with routine processing.
• An eligible adult passport-book renewal costs $130.
• A passport book for a child under 16 costs $135.
• Expedited processing adds $60 to each application.

U.S. Passport Fees at a Glance

The price depends on the applicant’s age, whether the application is new or a renewal, and whether the applicant wants a passport book, a passport card, or both.

For fee purposes, someone age 16 or older is treated as an adult. These totals cover routine government processing only.

The quickest way to estimate your own total is to start with the correct row and then add only the optional services you genuinely need.

Why a Passport Can Cost More Than the Application Fee

Passport pricing is easier to understand when you separate the two basic charges.

The application fee pays for the passport book, passport card, or both. First-time applicants and most people who cannot use the adult renewal process also pay a $35 acceptance fee, sometimes called an execution fee.

The acceptance fee goes to the facility that reviews the application, checks the applicant’s identification, witnesses the signature, and forwards the package for processing. That is why a first-time adult passport book normally costs $165 rather than the frequently advertised $130.

Photos, photocopies, postage, faster delivery, and optional preparation assistance are separate. When comparing prices, check whether the figure includes only the application fee or the full amount due during the application process.

How Much Does a First-Time Adult Passport Cost?

For most first-time adult travelers, the passport book is the practical choice. It costs $165 with routine service:

A passport card costs $65, but the lower price comes with an important limitation: it cannot be used for international flights.

The passport card is designed for qualifying land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. It may also be useful as a wallet-sized form of identification, but the passport card is not a replacement for a passport book when flying abroad.

Requesting a passport book and card together costs $195. This may suit someone who wants a book for international travel and a card for eligible border crossings or identification. Only one $35 acceptance fee is charged when both are requested in the same application.

How Much Does It Cost to Renew a Passport?

An eligible adult passport-book renewal costs $130. Renewing a passport card costs $30, while renewing both costs $160.

Renewal is usually cheaper because eligible adults generally do not pay the $35 in-person acceptance fee. They submit the renewal directly by mail or, when eligible, through the online renewal process.

Having held a passport before does not automatically guarantee the renewal price. Someone whose previous passport does not meet the renewal requirements may need to apply in person and pay the acceptance fee.

Renewal eligibility, not simply whether you have owned a passport, is what determines the correct application process and total. Confirm that process before preparing payment.

How Much Does a Child’s Passport Cost?

A passport book for a child under 16 costs $135, including:

A child’s passport card costs $50, while a book and card together cost $150. Children under 16 apply in person, and their passports are not renewed through the standard adult process. When a child’s passport expires, a new in-person application is generally required.

Passports issued to children under 16 are generally valid for five years, compared with ten years for most adult passports. Families may therefore need to repeat the application process while a child is still a minor.

Expedited Passport Fees and Other Costs

Expedited processing adds $60 per application. It speeds up the government’s processing stage, but it does not automatically include faster mailing.

Applicants can also pay $23.36 for 1–3 day return delivery of an issued passport book. This service starts after the passport has been processed and mailed. It is unavailable for passport-card-only applications.

Common totals include:

USPS currently lists a $15 passport-photo service at participating Post Offices. Applicants may also pay for outbound mailing, photocopies, transportation to an appointment, or private preparation assistance.

A $150 file-search fee can apply in uncommon cases when acceptable citizenship evidence is unavailable and a records search is needed. Most applicants will not pay it.

The practical lesson is to budget for the complete application process, not just the number displayed beside “passport book.”

How to Pay Passport Fees

First-time applicants often need separate payments: one for the passport application and another for the $35 acceptance fee.

At a Post Office, the acceptance fee can generally be paid by check, money order, debit card, or credit card. The federal application fee is handled separately, commonly by check or money order.

Other acceptance facilities may follow different payment policies, so check before the appointment. Bring the correct amount and payment type for each recipient; combining the fees incorrectly can delay the application.

Eligible renewals usually involve only the application fee. Passport application fees are generally nonrefundable, even when a passport is not issued.

In limited circumstances, someone who paid for expedited service but did not receive it within the applicable processing timeframe may be able to request a refund of the $60 expedited fee.

Where EaseGov Fits Into the Process

EaseGov is an independent, third-party document-preparation service. It is not a government agency, does not issue passports, and does not decide whether an application will be approved.

EaseGov helps applicants prepare by guiding them through relevant questions, organizing their information, and reviewing paperwork for common omissions or inconsistencies before submission through the appropriate official channel.

The service fee is separate from the government application fee, acceptance fee, passport photos, mailing, and optional expedited services. In most cases, applicants pay government charges separately; when any government fee is handled as part of the EaseGov process, it is displayed as a separate item before checkout.

This distinction matters. A third-party service can provide preparation assistance, expert review, and customer support, but the government remains responsible for processing the application and making the final decision.