Passport price increase!

[WizardLarz]

If you are planning on taking a Overseas trip get your passport Now!
http://www.ksdk.com/money/your_money/story.aspx?storyid=198994&catid=148

 

[Bete]

We can get our passports from our local courthouse. Are those places going to increase, as well? Is this just for those who use the Postal Service to do it? I'm confused, here. Help!

 

[Diskidatheart]

My understanding is that it is just the postal service that is increasing the price, but I could be wrong. The USPS is looking for ways to make money because they can't cover their costs due to the reduction of people actually mailing things. In addition, it's not the postal service that issues passports, it's just a means to obtain your passport. I would bet that if you go to your courthouse, you may be able to get your passport without the increase.

 

[Stripes62]

Hi All,

I've been lurking for quite some time and getting a lot of valuable info from all of you. Love reading the trip reports - thanks!

I hope I can return the favor...

The article in the first thread (from NBC) is wrong about who is increasing the rates and who processes and issues passports. The rate increase proposal is from the U.S. Department of State, not the U.S. Postal Service. The rate increase is still a proposed increase, since it is subject to public comment period and a proposed rule-making process before it can become official.

They are not increasing the $25 "Execution Fee"...that is collected by the post office, county clerk, or whoever else is handling the in-person part of the application process. (That fee is not charged on renewals.)

The rates for children's passports (passport book or passport card) are not going up as steeply, because they recognize that the children's passports are good for half as long as adult passports (5 vs 10 years).

- The fee for an expedited application ($60) is not changing.

- Application for a new adult Passport Book will go up by $35 - from $100 to $135 (including the $25 Execution Fee).

- Application for a new child's Passport Book will go up by $20 - from $85 to $105 (including the $25 Execution Fee).

- Application for a new adult Passport Card will go up by $10, from $45 to $55 (including the $25 Execution Fee).

- Application for a new child's Passport Card will go up by $5, from $35 to $40 (including the $25 Execution Fee) .

- Renewals of each of these items cost $25 less, because there is no Execution Fee (renewals are done by mail, not in person).

I can't post links yet...try pasting these into your browser:
Passport Fees - travel.state.gov/passport/get/fees/fees_837.html- for info on current fees.

2010 Proposed Passport Fee-travel.state.gov/passport/get/fees/fees_4734.html

 

[disneylove69]

The post office just gets your application to the government agency processing the passports they don't actually do it. They make sure you have all the paperwork, pictures, etc. It is then placed in an envelope and sent off. You pay a higher fee for them to overnight the envelope just like you would do for any other letter.