Passport Renewal Fees for 2026

Passport renewal costs less than a first-time passport because you skip the acceptance facility fee. But the total you pay depends on what you order, how fast you need it, and how you apply. This page lists every official fee that applies to adult renewals, taken from the State Department's fee, mail renewal and online renewal pages on October 7, 2026. Fees change from time to time, so check the State Department's Passport Fees page before you pay.

Current renewal fees at a glance

Source: State Department fee and renewal pages, checked October 7, 2026.

What each fee covers

Application fee: $130, $30 or $160

This is the core fee for the document itself. A passport book works for international travel by air, land and sea. A passport card is wallet-sized and works only for land and sea entry from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and some Caribbean destinations. Ordering both together costs $160. Read passport card renewal to decide whether the card is worth it for you.

The application fee is non-refundable. By law, the State Department keeps it even if a passport is not issued.

Expedited service: $60

Expedited service shortens processing to 2 to 3 weeks, compared with 4 to 6 weeks for routine service, as listed on October 7, 2026. You can add it to a mail renewal by including the extra $60 and writing "EXPEDITE" on the envelope. Online renewals cannot be expedited when you submit; if your plans change later, you can call 877-487-2778 to ask. If you paid for expedited service and the State Department did not meet its timeframe, you may be able to request a refund of the $60. Details in expedited passport renewal.

1 to 3-day return delivery: $26.87

This optional fee gets your new passport book to you within 1 to 3 days after it is mailed, instead of standard mail. It is not available for passport cards, which are always sent by First Class Mail. The State Department says not to send a prepaid return envelope. This fee was raised during 2026, so it is the number most likely to be outdated on other sites.

No acceptance fee for renewals

First-time applicants who use Form DS-11 pay a $35 acceptance fee to the facility. Renewals by mail or online do not. The State Department says postal employees should not charge you the $35 facility fee to mail a DS-82.

Example totals

These totals do not include optional mailing costs on your side, such as trackable or overnight shipping to send your DS-82, or the cost of photos.

How to pay

Renewing online

Pay with a credit or debit card in the application at opr.travel.state.gov.

Renewing by mail

• Use a personal check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of State." Do not send cash.
• Write the applicant's full name and date of birth on the front of the check or money order.
• If family members renew in the same envelope, you can pay with one check or money order, as long as the total is correct.
• From Canada, pay by check or money order in U.S. dollars through a U.S. bank.

Wrong or missing fees are one of the reasons the State Department sends mail renewal applications back, which costs you time. Add up every fee carefully. Compare both methods in online vs mail renewal.

At a passport agency

If you qualify for an urgent appointment, passport agencies accept major credit cards, some debit and prepaid cards, and contactless payments such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.

Other fees you might see

• File search: $150. This applies when you apply with Form DS-11 and cannot get evidence of U.S. citizenship. Renewals normally do not need it, because your previous passport serves as proof.
• Name change or data correction with Form DS-5504: $0. If your name changed within a year of your passport being issued, or there is an error in your passport, the State Department makes the change at no charge. Expedited service on a DS-5504 is still $60.
• Large passport book: no extra cost. You can request a book with more visa pages by checking the "large book" box on Form DS-82.

If you cannot renew: what applying in person costs

Not everyone qualifies to renew. If your passport was issued more than 15 years ago, was issued before you turned 16, or is lost, stolen or damaged, you apply in person with Form DS-11 and pay two separate fees: one to the State Department and one to the acceptance facility.

Children under 16 cannot renew at all. Their passports are valid for 5 years, and each new one is a DS-11 application: $100 for a book plus the $35 acceptance fee, as listed on October 7, 2026. If you are not sure which group you fall into, the expired passport renewal guide explains the cutoffs.

When paying extra is worth it

The $60 expedite fee and the $26.87 delivery fee only make sense when the calendar forces you. If your trip is more than 10 weeks away, routine service plus mailing time should be enough based on the State Department's current estimates. Between about 3 and 6 weeks out, expedited mail renewal is the usual answer. Inside 14 days, no fee will rescue a mailed application; you need an appointment at a passport agency, which the State Department does not charge for.

The cost nobody budgets for: a rejected photo

Photos are not a State Department fee, but they are part of what renewal really costs you. Mail renewal needs one printed 2 x 2 inch photo; online renewal needs a digital file. Prices vary by store and service; our guide on how much passport photos cost compares options.

The more expensive mistake is a photo that gets rejected. The State Department says unacceptable photos are the number one reason it puts applications on hold. You then have to send a new photo, and the weeks you lose can push you toward paying for expedited service or faster delivery that you would not otherwise need.

Before you submit, you can test your photo with our free passport photo checker. And if you are deciding whether paying extra makes sense, see the current passport renewal processing times.