Need A Passport? What You Need To Know

Way back in the early 1990s my wife and I decided to take a trip out of the country for the first time. Well, we have been to Canada and Mexico, but I'm talking about a trip across the pond.

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We did our homework, planned our trip out in detail, converted our vacation money (the trip was to the United Kingdom), and applied for the passports, which we knew would be a bit of a process that would take weeks to complete.

Now that spring is here, you may be thinking about a trip out of the country for vacation. You're going to need a passport for that. If you are in need of a passport, need a renewal, or lost your passport, here are some tips from the United States Department of State.

First, visit the U.S. Department of State website and fill out or print out the online form (same for renewing a passport.) Take the application to a Passport Acceptance Facility. You will need to bring proof of citizenship and proof of identity and provide a photo. A photo can be taken at the facility, but there may be a fee.

As for turnaround time, a routine passport application takes from  8 to 11 weeks, and an expedited passport takes from 5 to 7 weeks. As for costs, the U.S. Department of State lists the prices as follows for adults:

Passport Book - $130
Passport Card - $30
Passport Book & Card - $160

Each has an Execution (Acceptance) Fee of $35.

For children 15 and under:

Passport Book - $100
Passport Card - $150
Passport Book & Card - $115

For more information on U.S. passports, visit the U.S. Department of State website.