Passmere is a private company, not a government agency. This guide is free information, not legal advice. Each fact links to the official source and shows the date we checked it.
How-to
U.S. passport fees: what the government charges and how to pay
Government passport fees for adults and children, the acceptance fee, expedited service, faster delivery, no-fee cases, how to pay and what is refunded.
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:
under review — see the official source5
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.
under review — see the official source6Each person who applies pays their own fees, including each child. Want a passport card along with the book? under review — see the official source7
Step by step
- Find out how you apply: by mail with Form DS-82 or in person with Form DS-11 (see the list above).
- Decide what you need: a passport book, a passport card, or both.
- Take the application fee from the adult table or the child table below.
- If you apply in person, add the acceptance fee. It is paid separately, to the facility.
- Add optional services only if you need them: expedited processing, and faster return delivery for a book.
- Write a check or money order to "U.S. Department of State" for the application fee and any options, with the applicant's name and date of birth on it.
- Ask the acceptance facility how it takes its own fee before your appointment.
Checklist
Before you pay
- 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. under review — see the official source8
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
| What | Paid to | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Passport book | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source1 |
| Passport card | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source9 |
| Book and card | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source10 |
Children under 16
| What | Paid to | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Passport book | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source2 |
| Passport card | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source11 |
| Book and card | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source12 |
Extra and optional fees
| What | Paid to | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance fee (in person with Form DS-11 only) | Acceptance facility | under review — see the official source3 |
| Expedited service (optional) | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source4 |
| 1–3 day return delivery (optional, book only) | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source13 |
| File search, if you cannot get evidence of U.S. citizenship | U.S. Department of State | under review — see the official source14 |
When there is no fee
| What | Paid to | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Correcting a data or printing error with Form DS-5504 | — | under review — see the official source15 |
| Name change with Form DS-5504, soon after the passport was issued | — | under review — see the official source16 |
| Larger book with more visa pages | — | under review — see the official source17 |
The conditions matter. under review — see the official source18 under review — see the official source19 For details, read Passport name change.
How to pay
under review — see the official source20Refunds
under review — see the official source21That is why it pays to check your form, your photo and your documents before you send any money.
Frequently asked questions
Is the acceptance fee part of the application fee?
No. It is a separate fee that you pay to the acceptance facility, and only when you apply in person with Form DS-11. under review — see the official source20
Do I pay the acceptance fee when I renew by mail?
Can I get my money back if my passport is not issued?
Is Passmere's fee included in these amounts?
No. Every fee on this page goes to the U.S. government or to the acceptance facility. Passmere's own fee is always shown and charged separately, and its price has not been announced yet.
Can unpaid child support or taxes stop my passport?
Will Passmere ask for my Social Security number?
No. under review — see the official source23 Passmere never asks for it: you write it on the form yourself.
Sources and verification
- Government application fee — adult passport book — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Government application fee — child passport book (under 16) — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Acceptance facility fee (in-person applications) — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Expedited service fee — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Who must apply in person with Form DS-11 — U.S. Department of State: Apply for Your Adult Passport. under review — see the official source
- How to send a mail renewal — U.S. Department of State: Renew Your Passport by Mail. under review — see the official source
- Applying for book and card together — U.S. Department of State: Compare a Passport Card and Book. under review — see the official source
- Unofficial renewal websites — U.S. Department of State: Renew Your Passport Online. under review — see the official source
- Government application fee — adult passport card — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Government application fee — adult book and card — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Government application fee — child passport card — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Government application fee — child book and card — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- 1–3 day return delivery fee — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- File search fee (no citizenship evidence) — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Fee to correct a data or printing error — U.S. Department of State: Change or Correct a Passport. under review — see the official source
- Fee for a name change within 1 year of issuance — U.S. Department of State: Change or Correct a Passport. under review — see the official source
- Extra cost for the large passport book — U.S. Department of State: Renew Your Passport by Mail. under review — see the official source
- Name change within 1 year (Form DS-5504) — U.S. Department of State: Change or Correct a Passport. under review — see the official source
- Correcting a data or printing error — U.S. Department of State: Change or Correct a Passport. under review — see the official source
- How to pay the government fees — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Refunds of passport fees — U.S. Department of State: Passport Fees. under review — see the official source
- Debts that delay or block a passport — U.S. Department of State: Apply for Your Adult Passport. under review — see the official source
- Social Security number on the form — U.S. Department of State: Form DS-82 (edition 04-2025) — instructions. under review — see the official source