ESCANABA - Anyone looking to obtain or renew their passports at its current price should do so quickly, because the U.S. Department of State has proposed an increase in the fees charged for passports.
According to Delta County Clerk Nancy Kolich, the proposed fees for passports and passport cards and other services were published in the Federal Register Feb. 9 for a 30-day public comment period.
"Under the information received by my office regarding the new proposed fees, the rate will increase $35 to a new rate of $135 for a first-time passport application," said Kolich.
For minors or youth under the age of 16, the fee would rise also from the present fee of $80 to $105, added Kolich.
A breakdown of the new fees for an adult passport reflects a fee of $110 payable to the Department of State and a $25 acceptance fee, payable to the accepting agency, such as the County Clerk's Office.
For minors the proposed fee breaks down to $80, payable to the Department of State and a $25 acceptance fee.
"U.S. Passport Cards, which can be used for land or sea travel to either Mexico or Canada, will also see a fee increase," said Kolich. "For adults, age 16 and over, the fee for a first-time applicant will be $55, while the cost for minors or those under the age of 16 will run $40..."
Of the total fee for a passport cart, $30 is payable to the Department of State, while $25 is payable to the facility accepting the application. For a passport card for a minor, the charges would be $15 to the State Department, and $25 to the facility accepting the application.
Kolich also said service fees, including additional Visa pages, would see an increase, along with file search fees and expedited processing fees.
Anyone wishing to comment on the new proposed passport and passport card fees can do so at www.regulations.gov/search/regs/home.html