If you have been dallying about applying for or renewing a passport, the time to do it is now.

The fees for both services are due to rise $35 on July 13 under a new U.S. State Department fee schedule.

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 (under age 16) will be $105, up from $85.

The U.S. State Department noted the price increase on its website last week. (The prices include what’s called 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 United States 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 any 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.gov or phone 877-487-2778. Adult passports and passport cards are valid for 10 years, five years for minors.

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

Renewals for most adults can be done by mail.

(Source: Boston Herald)