Passport Fees Scheduled to Rise Significantly

Forgot to renew your passport or need to apply for the first time? Consider doing it soon because on Aug. 19 passport fees will increase as much as 75%, depending on the type of document.

The fee for first-time passport applicants will increase from $60 to $85 per adult. Adult renewals will go from $40 to $55. Children younger than 16 will pay $70, an increase from $40. Fees for expedited service, for those who need their passports in less than 14 days, will rise from $35 to $60. The cutoff for the new fees is the date of application, based on the date you submit your application in person or the postmark of a mailed application, officials said.

Barbara Brophy, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Passport Agency, noted that the bureau has been phasing in costly, high-tech changes in the last two years, such as digitizing photos, to make passports more secure. She added that passport fees pay not just for passports but also for other services provided to Americans overseas.

For passport information, visit www.travel.state.gov, which has application forms you can download and lists post offices and other sites where you can apply; call the National Passport Information Center at (900) 225-5674 (35 cents per minute for recorded information) or (888) 362-8668 ($4.95 charge; you must punch in your credit card number); or in the Los Angeles area, call (310) 575-5700.