Passport fees going up steeply in mid-July

If you need a U.S. passport, get one soon before fees increase steeply in mid-July.

The cost for a first-time passport for an adult (age 16 and older) will increase to $135, up from the current $100, on July 13. A renewal for an adult passport will be $110, up from $75. A first-time passport or renewal for a minor (younger than 16) will be $105, up from $85.

The U.S. State Department noted the price increase on its website this week. The prices include an "acceptance fee," payable to facilities where passport applications are taken.

Travelers who need extra pages in their passports to accommodate more visas/stamps will pay $82 starting July 13. That service has been free.

The fee also is increasing for a passport card, a more limited form of federally-issued identification that can be used for land/sea travel between the U.S. and Mexico, Canada and a few other Western Hemisphere countries. A first-time passport card for an adult will cost $55 (up from $45). A renewal will be $30 (up from $20). For a minor, a passport card (first-time and renewal) is $40 (up from $35). The passport card is not valid for international air travel.

To get information on applying for a passport, formally called a "passport book," and to download application forms, see www.travel.state.govor phone 877-487-2778. Adult passports and passport cards are valid for 10 years, five years for minors.

First-time applicants and those younger than 16 must apply in person at an acceptance facility, which includes post offices, libraries and certain government offices. Find passport-acceptance facilities by ZIP code at iafdb.travel.state.gov/

Renewals for most adults can be done by mail.

Kristin Jackson: kjackson@seattletimes.com