Passport Fees Drop; Some Other Costs Up

Starting today, U.S. passports get cheaper, but some related fees rise.

First-time applicants age 16 and over will pay $60, down from $65, for passports, and renewals will cost $40 instead of $55, according to a U.S. State Department announcement last week. Applicants age 15 and under will continue to pay $40 for passports.

However, the fee to expedite a passport application--which guarantees processing within three instead of 25 business days--goes up from $30 to $35. The notary service fee at overseas embassies and consulates jumps from $10 to $55. Officials said all the fees were adjusted to more closely reflect the cost of providing each service.