Lost or Damaged Passport? Here's What It Costs in 2026

Losing a passport does not get you a discount. A replacement is priced as a brand-new application, forms and all, which is why it stings more than a renewal.

What does it cost to replace a lost or damaged passport?

The base cost for a new US passport book in 2026 is $130 for adults, which includes the $100 application fee and a $30 acceptance facility execution fee bundled into the State Department quote. Renewals by mail are $130 with no execution fee. A passport card alone is $30 for first-time or renewal. A child under 16 passport runs $100 for the application plus a $35 execution fee, totaling $135. These are the standard fees, but the total in real situations runs higher once you add photos, expedited processing, and shipping.

The situations that change the cost: a lost passport, a damaged passport, a name change, a child renewal with parental consent, expedited processing, and 1 to 2-day emergency service. Each of these has a different fee on top of the base application. The table below shows the totals by situation.

The execution fee is the $35 charge added when you apply in person at a passport acceptance facility. Mail renewals skip it. The photo runs $15 to $20 at most pharmacies, or you can take your own and print at home for under $1.

Key takeaway: A standard adult passport book is $130 by mail or $165 in person. Lost, damaged, and name-change replacements cost the same as a new passport, $165 total. The real-world total for a first-time applicant runs $180 to $220 once photos, shipping, and the execution fee are added.

Lost passport

A lost US passport requires a new application as if it is your first time, with the $130 application fee plus a $35 execution fee for a total of $165. You also need to fill out Form DS-11 in person at an acceptance facility and a signed statement on Form DS-64 explaining when and where the passport was lost. Police reports are not required but help in identity-theft cases. Processing runs 6 to 8 weeks standard or 2 to 3 weeks expedited for an extra $60.

If you find the passport after you have paid for a replacement, the State Department will not refund the fee. The lost passport number stays in their system and would be rejected at the border if you tried to use it. Report the loss on Form DS-64 the same week it happens so the passport cannot be used fraudulently.

Damaged passport

A damaged US passport with water damage, torn pages, an unreadable chip, or a defaced cover also requires a new application and the same $165 total. The State Department may refuse to renew a damaged passport and require a new one, which adds 4 to 6 weeks of processing if not expedited. Replace the passport at the first sign of damage rather than after it gets worse, because water-damaged chips cannot be read at the border and you will be turned away.

The single most expensive mistake is renewing a damaged passport by mail. The State Department will reject the application, mail the form back in 8 to 12 weeks, and you start over. Damaged passports must go through the in-person new-application process.

Child passport, under 16

Children under 16 must appear in person with both parents, or one parent with the other's notarized consent on Form DS-3053. The application runs $100 plus a $35 execution fee for $135 total. Children's passports are valid 5 years, not 10. Both parents must consent at submission and again if the child needs an emergency replacement abroad.

If only one parent can appear, the absent parent must complete Form DS-3053 in front of a notary and bring a copy of their ID. Single parents may need to provide court orders, death certificates, or sole-custody documents. The acceptance facility reviews the documents on the spot, so bring originals plus a photocopy of each.

Name change

A name change requires a new passport book, not a renewal. The application runs $130 plus a $35 execution fee for $165 total. Bring the marriage certificate, court order, or divorce decree showing the legal name change, plus the previous passport. Processing runs 6 to 8 weeks standard or 2 to 3 weeks expedited for an extra $60.

If you have changed your name and your passport is still valid, do not wait for it to expire. Many countries will not let you enter if your ticket name and passport name do not match, even with a marriage certificate in hand.

Expedited processing fees

Standard processing is 6 to 8 weeks. Expedited is 2 to 3 weeks, and the fee is $60 per application on top of the base cost. The total for an expedited adult renewal is $190. The total for an expedited first-time adult passport is $225 including execution.

For travel within 14 days, the only option is an in-person appointment at a regional passport agency. The fee is $60 for expedited processing plus $17 for 1 to 2-day priority mail delivery. The appointment must be booked through the State Department's online system, and availability is limited. Same-day service is possible at some agencies for life-or-death emergencies with proof.

Overnight delivery is $17 to $20 on top of any application, and 1 to 2-day priority mail is included free with the $60 expedited fee. Renew a passport that expires within 6 months now, expedited, so the new passport arrives well before any planned travel.

Do you need a new photo for a replacement passport?

Passport photos run $15 to $20 at most retail locations such as CVS, Walgreens, Costco, and AAA, and $10 to $15 at post offices. The State Department has strict size and background requirements. The free option is to take your own photo at home against a white background, print at the correct 2x2 inch size, and submit. Full retailer-by-retailer pricing is in our passport photo cost guide. The catch is that the State Department rejects photos that do not meet the spec, including wrong head size, shadows, or wrong background.

The reliable free option is the State Department's official photo tool at passportphotos.state.gov, which resizes and validates a smartphone photo. Print at home or at any drugstore photo kiosk. Total cost runs under $1.

Hidden costs most travelers miss

Travel insurance with trip cancellation is not a passport cost, but it pairs well if you are paying for expedited service because of a missed renewal. The 1 to 2-week processing buffer before travel is the real safety margin. Photos, mailing, and execution fees add $50 to $100 to the base application, which is the real total for most first-time applicants. The international visa for the destination country is a separate cost that ranges from $30 to over $300 depending on the country and runs alongside, not inside, the passport fee.

Currency conversion fees for paying the passport fee by credit card at an acceptance facility are not charged by the State Department, but the credit card processing fee at some commercial acceptance facilities is $1 to $2. Bring cash or a check for the execution fee to skip it.

How does replacement cost compare outside the US?

For the full UK picture see our UK passport renewal cost guide. The UK adult passport standard online is £88.50, around $112, and the 1-week fast track is £155, around $196. The premium same-day service at a passport office is £193.50, around $245. The child passport is £57, around $72, standard and £88.50 fast track. Postal application costs £9.50 more than online.

The Canadian adult passport valid 5 years is CAN$120, around $89, and the 10-year passport is CAN$160, around $118. Standard processing is 20 business days, expedited 5 to 10 business days for an extra CAN$50. Urgent 2 to 9 business days is CAN$110 extra.

How to actually pay less

Renew by mail whenever possible, even if you think you need to apply in person. The execution fee is $35 saved per adult and the time saved is 2 to 4 hours. Use the State Department's free photo tool rather than the $20 pharmacy photo. Renew 9 to 12 months before expiration rather than the week before travel, to skip the $60 expedited fee and the $17 overnight shipping. Apply in person only when the form requires it, including first-time, lost, damaged, name change, and child under 16.

The single most expensive mistake is renewing a damaged passport by mail, which the State Department will reject. The form is mailed back, the $130 is refunded in 8 to 12 weeks, and you start over. Damaged passports must go through the in-person new-application process, every time.

Photo: US Department of State, PUBLIC DOMAIN, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/William_Henry_Poole_passport_application%2C_page_2_of_4.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original)