U.S. passport fees set to rise

The cost of getting a passport will hit $100 starting Friday. The increase is one of a series of changes this week that affect U.S. citizens traveling outside the country.

Saying it needs more money "to cover the cost of providing efficient and secure passport services," the U.S. State Department said today that it will raise passport fees from $97 to $100 for adults and from $82 to $85 for children younger than 16. It said renewals, now $67, would cost $75.

In another change that takes effect Friday, both parents will be required to appear in person -- or one parent in person with required documentation -- when applying for a passport for a child under 16. The current cutoff is age 14. The change is aimed at protecting children from abduction and "to address concerns regarding runaway children," the State Department said.

Starting Friday, the State Department expects to have new forms for downloading from its website, www.travel.state.gov, that can be used to apply for passports and a new passport card, said assistant spokesman Cy Ferenchak. The passport card, expected to be issued in the spring, is a less expensive document that will be accepted for certain border crossings by land or sea.

more:

http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-passportfees29jan29

require everyone to have a Passport for outside the country travel and then raise the fee.

It's a fee! DOncha know the diff? Mitwit raised fees in MA. Huckabee raised taxes!

GOtta get the Repug terminology right.

It's not a tax if it's a fee. :crazy:

Mz Pip
:dem:

thanks for clearing that up for me.:banghead:

withiout a pssport and they don't let me back in here, Can I stay in Canada?? hmm?

renewals are even cheaper..

yes, it's a different world since 9/11...like 9/11/1930...

The national ID system is scary... Passports :shrug:

And come on we're talking 15 bucks here. Whatever. How often do you pick up a passport?