Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Price
Passports for adults 16 and over are $60 and are valid for 10
years. You may pay in person by check, bank draft, or money or-
der. At passport agencies you may also pay in cash; some (but
not all) post offices and clerks of court accept payment in cash.
When you receive your passport, sign it. The next step is to fill
in the emergency contact information (use a pencil in case you
need to make changes).
Getting Information
Need to talk with someone? The only public phone number for
passport information is for the
National Passport Informa-
tion Center
(NPIC). You can call here for information on pass-
port emergencies, applying for a US passport, or to obtain the
status of a passport application. Automated information is
available 24 hours a day and live operators can be reached on
weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm, Eastern Standard Time. (Services
are available in English, Spanish, and by TDD.) This is a toll
call: the charge is 35ยข per minute for the automated system or
$1.05 per minute for live operators. Call
900-225-5674 for ei-
ther automated or live service;
900-225-7778 for TDD service.
Calling from a number blocked from 900 service? Call
888-
362-8668 (TDD
888-498-3648); you will be required to pay by
credit card at a flat rate of $4.95 per call. For passport offices,
see the
Appendix,
page 382.
Lost Passports
If you lose your passport or have it stolen, immediately report
the loss to the local police. Get a police declaration, then report
to the local consulate or embassy for a replacement passport.
We've had this happen and relied on the State Department to
help us replace a lost passport (caused by the sinking of a boat
we were traveling in) with an emergency passport.
W
e can't emphasize enough how important it is to
carry a copy of the identification page of your passport
tucked somewhere in your belongings.
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