Why is there an execution fee for the Passport and Passport Card?
First time applicants, minors and those seeking to replace a lost or stolen passport must appear in person before a person authorized by the Secretary of State to give oaths to verify their passport applications. In order to offer American citizens convenient locations to apply for a passport, the Department of State authorizes Passport Acceptance Agents to accept passport applications on its behalf. American citizens can apply at more than 9,000 passport acceptance facilities, most of them with the U.S. Postal Service. Other government facilities include many state, county, township, and municipal offices as well public libraries and public universities. The execution fee is to reimburse the acceptance facility for the cost of the service, which provides an incentive for them to act on behalf of the Department of State. The current cost of the execution fee is to $25 (as of February 1, 2008). The execution fee applies to first-time applicants, children and replacements for lost or sto
