U.S. passport fees: what the government charges and how to pay

Which fees you pay

What you pay depends first on how you apply. You apply in person with Form DS-11, and pay the acceptance fee, in any of these situations:

If none of these applies and you meet the conditions for a mail renewal, you renew by mail with Form DS-82 and pay only the application fee, plus any options you choose.

Print Form DS-82 single-sided, sign and date it, staple one photo with four staples in the corners, include your most recent passport and the fee, and mail it with the U.S. Postal Service. No $35 acceptance fee applies to DS-82.⁶

Each person who applies pays their own fees, including each child. Want a passport card along with the book? The same forms are used for both; asking for the book and card together saves one $35 acceptance fee compared with applying separately.⁷

Step by step

Checklist

Before you pay

Print checklist

• I know if I apply by mail (Form DS-82) or in person (Form DS-11)
• I chose a book, a card or both
• I used the adult fees or the child fees, as the case may be
• The acceptance fee is a separate payment, if I apply in person
• The expedite fee is added only if I want expedited service
• Check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of State", with name and date of birth
• A copy of the check or the money order receipt is kept at home

Do and don't

Do

• Check the fees again on the day you pay; the official source and the date it was checked are listed at the end of this guide.
• Pay the application fee and the acceptance fee separately when you apply in person.
• Keep proof of every payment until your passport and documents are back.

Don't

• Don't send cash by mail.
• Don't add expedited service out of habit. Choose it when your travel date needs it.
• Don't pay a website that offers to renew your passport online for you. The State Department warns that websites or companies claiming to renew your passport online for you may be fraudulent, even with "Gov" in their name; official sites end in .gov.⁸

Fees

These are government fees. They are paid to the U.S. Department of State, or to the acceptance facility where noted, not to Passmere.

Adults

Children under 16

Extra and optional fees

When there is no fee

The conditions matter. If less than 1 year has passed since both your passport was issued and your name legally changed, mail Form DS-5504 with your most recent passport, the original or certified name change document and one photo.¹⁸ To fix an error in your name, sex or place of birth, or a printing defect, mail Form DS-5504 with the passport, one photo and evidence of the error. Reported within 1 year, the new passport gets full validity; after that, it keeps the original expiration date.¹⁹ For details, read Passport name change.

How to pay

By mail or at an acceptance facility, pay the application fee with a check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of State", with the applicant's name and date of birth in the memo. The acceptance fee is paid separately to the facility. Online renewals are paid by credit or debit card.²⁰

Refunds

The application fee and the acceptance fee are not refunded, even if no passport is issued. Only the $60 expedite fee can be refunded when expedited service was not delivered on time.²¹

That is why it pays to check your form, your photo and your documents before you send any money.

Frequently asked questions