How Much Does a Passport Cost in Pennsylvania?

A first-time adult passport book costs $165 in Pennsylvania, made up of a $130 application fee paid to the U.S. Department of State and a $35 acceptance fee paid to the facility that takes your application.¹ Children under 16 pay $135. These are federal fees, so the price is the same in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie, or anywhere else. What changes your total is the type of document, whether you’re renewing, and any add-ons like expedited service or faster delivery.

First-Time Adult Passport Book: $165

If you’re 16 or older and this is your first passport, you’ll write two separate payments:

$130 application fee to the U.S. Department of State
$35 acceptance fee to the acceptance facility (a post office, clerk of court office, or participating library)

An adult passport book is valid for 10 years from the date of issue.² If you want a passport card at the same time, the combined application fee is $160, plus the same single $35 acceptance fee, for a total of $195.¹

Child Passport: $135

Everyone under 16 has to apply in person, so the $35 acceptance fee is unavoidable. A child’s passport book runs $135 total ($100 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee). A child’s passport card is $50 total ($15 plus $35), and both documents together cost $150 ($115 plus $35).¹

Kids’ passports are valid for only 5 years, half as long as an adult’s.² For a family of four with two young children, that means $600 in application and acceptance fees alone, before photos or any rush service.

Renewal: $130 for Adults Who Qualify

Adult renewals skip the $35 acceptance fee because you can renew by mail or online without visiting a facility. The application fee stays $130 for a book, $30 for a card, or $160 for both.¹

You’re generally eligible to renew if your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, is undamaged, and can be submitted with your application. If it was lost, stolen, or damaged, you can’t renew; you’ll apply in person with Form DS-11 and pay the full first-time fees.

Passport Card: Cheaper but Limited

The passport card is a wallet-sized document. Adults pay $30 in application fees (plus $35 acceptance fee for a first-time applicant), and children pay $15 plus the $35 acceptance fee.¹

The catch is where it works. A passport card is only valid for land and sea entry between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries. You cannot use it for international air travel.³ TSA does accept it as ID for domestic flights, which makes it a useful backup, but if you’re flying abroad you need the book.

Expedited Service, Delivery, and Photos

Several optional charges can push your total well past the base price:

Expedited service is $60 per application. Routine processing runs 4 to 6 weeks; expedited cuts that to 2 to 3 weeks.⁴
1-3 day delivery of the finished book is $22.05. It’s not available for passport cards, which always ship by regular First Class Mail.¹
File search is $150, but only applies if you had a passport issued before 1994 and can’t submit it.¹
Passport photos typically cost about $15 to $17 at pharmacies like Walgreens or CVS.

Put together, an adult rushing a first-time book with expedited processing and fast delivery pays roughly $264: $130 application fee, $35 acceptance fee, $60 expedited fee, $22.05 delivery, and about $17 for a photo. Both the application and acceptance fees are non-refundable, even if a passport is ultimately not issued.¹

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passports

Replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged passport costs the same as applying for the first time. You’ll file Form DS-11 in person and pay $130 plus the $35 acceptance fee.⁵ There is no discounted replacement fee.

Name Changes and Corrections Can Be Free

A printing or data error on a valid passport is corrected at no charge. You mail Form DS-5504 with your current passport, a photo, and evidence of the error.⁶

Name changes are free through the same Form DS-5504 if your passport was issued less than a year ago and your legal name change also happened within that year. The only possible charge in that window is the $60 expedited fee if you need it fast.⁶ Outside that window, you pay standard renewal or new-application fees.

How to Pay in Pennsylvania

Every passport applicant makes two payments, and mixing them up is a common trip-up at the counter.

The $130 (or other) application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State. In person, pay by check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State,” with the applicant’s full name and date of birth in the memo line. Each applicant needs a separate payment, so a family of four submits four checks. Online renewals accept credit or debit cards, and regional passport agencies accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, debit cards, and contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay.¹

The $35 acceptance fee is paid separately to the facility itself. Payment methods vary. Pennsylvania post offices and clerk of court offices may take cash, checks, money orders, or cards, but call the specific location before you go.

Where to Apply

First-time applicants and all children apply in person at an authorized acceptance facility. In Pennsylvania, that usually means a U.S. Post Office, a clerk of court office, or a participating public library.⁷ The State Department’s online locator lets you search by ZIP code. Many facilities require an appointment, so check before showing up. Bring Form DS-11 unsigned, proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate, a valid photo ID, your passport photo, and both payments ready to hand over.

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. After You Get Your New Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
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U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
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USAGov. Apply for a New Adult Passport