First-time passport cost and timeline
A first passport is always Form DS-11 signed in person, so it carries two fees and a mail leg in each direction.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
First passport, age 18+: what you pay
$165
Arrives between November 14, 2026 and December 26, 2026
| Application fee · DS-11 | $130 |
|---|---|
| Execution (acceptance) fee | $35 |
| Check or money order to “U.S. Department of State” | $130 |
| Separate payment to the acceptance facility | $35 |
| Total | $165 |
| Mail to the State Department | up to 2 weeks |
|---|---|
| Processing | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Mail back to you | up to 2 weeks |
| Last day to apply, routine, worst case | November 6, 2026 |
| Last day to apply, expedited, worst case | November 27, 2026 |
Arrives before your trip even with the slowest published times.
Official rule: routine service if you travel in 6 weeks or more.
How this was calculated
- Fees from the State Department chart “United States Passport Fees”, October 2026 edition, and 22 CFR 22.1 ($50 application + $80 security surcharge = $130 for an adult book).
- Times from the processing-time page updated October 5, 2026: routine 4 to 6 weeks, expedited 2 to 3 weeks, mail up to 2 weeks each way. The earliest date leaves mail out, the latest adds both legs.
- Not included: photos, the price of faster USPS mail to the State Department (set by the facility), and any private expediter fee.
Estimate from the State Department’s published fees and processing times. Mailing times vary and the Department decides each case. Independent site, not affiliated with the Department of State; we sell no expediting service. Method and sources
An adult applying for a first U.S. passport fills in Form DS-11, takes it unsigned to an acceptance facility with proof of citizenship, a photo ID, a photocopy of each and one photo, and pays twice. The application fee of $130 for a book, $30 for a card or $160 for both goes on a check or money order to the U.S. Department of State; the $35 execution fee is paid separately to the facility. A first adult book therefore costs $165, and book plus card $195. Without any proof of citizenship, the $150 file search brings the book to $315. The facility mails the application, which can take up to 2 weeks, then routine processing takes 4 to 6 weeks and the passport can take 2 more weeks to arrive: up to 70 days in all.
Two payments at the counter
The acceptance agent checks your documents, gives you an oath and watches you sign. Only then do you hand over the payments. The check or money order for the State Department carries the application fee and any options you chose, with your name and date of birth in the memo line. The $35 goes to the facility itself. The calculator lists the two amounts on separate lines so that you can write the check at home: $130 for a book, $160 for book and card, more if you expedite.
What the first application asks for that a renewal does not
Evidence of citizenship is the document that holds most first applications back. A certified U.S. birth certificate is the usual one; a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a certificate of naturalization or citizenship, or a previous full-validity passport also work. If none of them exists, the State Department can search its own records for $150, which you add with the second switch in the calculator. The photo ID must be physical and valid, and both the evidence and the ID need a single-sided black and white photocopy on letter paper.
Where and when to go
Any of the more than 7,500 acceptance facilities takes first applications, often by appointment. The where to apply page counts them by state. If you leave in less than three weeks, a facility is the wrong door: you need an appointment at a passport agency within 14 days of travel, and the $60 expedite fee is charged there in every case. For most trips, though, applying 10 weeks ahead with routine service is enough.