How Much Does a Passport Cost in California? Fees, Renewals, and Extras

A first-time adult passport book in California costs $165: a $130 application fee paid to the U.S. Department of State plus a $35 execution fee paid to the acceptance facility that processes your paperwork. Renewing by mail or online is cheaper at $130, because the $35 facility fee doesn’t apply. These prices are set by the federal government, so how much a passport costs in California is the same as anywhere else in the country.¹

First-Time Adult Passport Fees

If you’ve never had a passport, your last one was issued before you turned 16, it expired more than 15 years ago, or it was lost or stolen, you’ll apply in person using Form DS-11. That means two separate payments: one to the Department of State and one to the acceptance facility.¹

Passport book: $130 + $35 = $165
Passport card: $30 + $35 = $65
Both book and card: $160 + $35 = $195

The $35 facility fee is charged once per application, even if you’re getting both documents. Everyone 16 and older pays these adult rates, including 16- and 17-year-olds applying for their first adult passport.²

The card is much cheaper, but it only works for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and parts of the Caribbean. You cannot fly internationally on a passport card.³ An adult book is valid for 10 years.⁴

Renewal Costs

Renewing skips the $35 facility fee. Acceptance facilities should never charge you that fee for a renewal.⁵

Passport book renewal: $130
Passport card renewal: $30
Both: $160

You can renew by mail on Form DS-82 if your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued when you were 16 or older, and hasn’t been expired for more than five years. If you don’t meet those conditions, you’ll apply in person on Form DS-11 and owe the full $35 facility fee on top of the application fee.¹

Renewing Online

Online renewal is available at opr.travel.state.gov and costs the same as mail renewal: $130, $30, or $160. It accepts credit and debit cards, which mail renewals do not.⁶

The eligibility rules are tighter than mail renewal. You must be 25 or older, your 10-year passport must be expiring within one year or have expired less than five years ago, your personal information can’t be changing, you must physically have the passport, and you can’t need it within six weeks. Only routine processing is available online.⁶

Passport Costs for Children Under 16

Children have lower application fees but still owe the $35 facility fee, and they must always apply in person. Both parents or guardians generally need to be present.⁷

Passport book: $100 + $35 = $135
Passport card: $15 + $35 = $50
Both: $115 + $35 = $150

Children’s passports can’t be renewed by mail. Every five years you’ll go through the full in-person process again on Form DS-11 and pay both fees.⁷

Faster Service

Standard processing runs four to six weeks from when the Department of State receives your application, not counting mail time. Two paid upgrades are available.⁸

Expedited processing costs $60 and brings processing down to two to three weeks. Available for both in-person and mail applications. Write “EXPEDITE” on the outside of your envelope if mailing.
1-3 day delivery of the finished book back to you costs $22.05. This doesn’t speed up processing itself, only the return shipping, and it isn’t available for passport cards.

You can stack both. An adult renewing a book with expedited processing and fast delivery pays $130 + $60 + $22.05, or $212.05. If you paid the $60 expedited fee but didn’t actually get faster processing, you may qualify for a refund.⁸

Traveling internationally within 14 days? You can book an urgent appointment at the passport agencies in Los Angeles or San Francisco. There’s no extra charge for the appointment itself, but you still pay the standard application fees plus the $60 expedited fee.⁸

Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passport

A lost passport is expensive. You report it lost or stolen on Form DS-64, then reapply in person on Form DS-11 and pay the full first-time fees: $130 plus the $35 facility fee for a book, or $165 total. There’s no discount for previously holding a passport. Damage triggers the same process and the same charges.⁹

One narrow exception: if a natural disaster destroyed your passport, you may be able to replace it at no cost.⁹ If you later find the passport you reported lost, it’s permanently canceled and you still need the new one.

Name Changes and Corrections

What you pay to update your passport depends on timing and whose mistake it was.

Government printing or data error: free. File Form DS-5504 with your current passport, a photo, and evidence of the error.¹⁰
Name change within one year of issuance: free on Form DS-5504 with a certified name change document and a photo. The only possible charge is $60 if you want it expedited.¹⁰
Name change more than a year after issuance: you’ll either renew by mail on Form DS-82 for $130, or apply in person on Form DS-11 for $130 + $35, depending on your eligibility.¹⁰

Photos and Payment

Every application requires a recent 2-by-2-inch color photo, and the Department of State doesn’t provide one. Most post offices that act as acceptance facilities charge $15 for a set. Pharmacies, shipping stores, and warehouse clubs generally charge between $5 and $20. You can also take and print your own if you’re comfortable meeting the background, lighting, and dimension rules.

Payment methods depend on how you apply. Mail renewals accept checks (personal, certified, cashier’s, or traveler’s) and money orders made payable to “U.S. Department of State,” with a separate check or money order for each application.¹ Online renewals accept credit and debit cards.⁶ The $35 facility fee is paid separately to the acceptance facility itself; most take checks, money orders, and cash, and many take cards, but options vary by location, so check before you go.

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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U.S. Department of State. After You Get Your New Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State. Get My Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
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Travel.State.Gov. Change or Correct a Passport