Passport Misinformation and Redundant Fees

The Department of State provides passport forms for free online and in print.

You should not pay for passport forms. Do not pay to have the forms filled in for you. If you need assistance filling out your forms, we can help! Give us a call to set an appointment.

Courier services can charge fees for any & all services they offer.

The only fees you need to pay are processing fees to the Department of State and to the Library for the execution of your application, your photo (if applicable), and photocopies (if applicable). You can pay optional fees at your appointment to expedite your application and/or mail delivery. Those optional fees are paid to the Department of State and the USPS.

Courier services can be valuable to some consumers for purposes like business travel. If you need to travel urgently, carefully review the Department of State “Rush My Passport” page for the correct information and instructions for your personal situation.

You may not get any value from paid courier services, but they are not breaking the law by charging fees for them.

Registered couriers can deliver your passport application, but they cannot get your application processed quicker than you can on your own, without paying redundant fees.

There are legitimate companies registered with the Department of State that assist applicants, usually by delivering your application or passport. You will be required to appear for your passport application in person with or without a courier service. Review the passport application process thoroughly to understand what you need to do and what you must pay for.

Watch out for real scammers.

There are scammers who pretend to be a legitimate agency. They might copy website designs that make them look official. They may try to steal your money or personal information, which they could then sell to other scammers.

We always recommend exercising some caution when using search engines. They display ads that compete with relevant results for your attention. Website designers can manipulate the algorithms that power search engines to make their websites more prominent in a search. It is good practice to go directly to travel.state.gov. The “.gov” ending is restricted to legitimate government use.

If you think you may have been scammed…

  1. Email PassportVisaFraud@state.gov if you spot a scammy passport application, website, or if you paid someone who turned out to be a scammer.
  2. Report the incident to the FTC at fraud.ftc.gov
  3. Visit IdentityTheft.gov if you think your personal information has been misused.