Higher airport security fees included in Trump administration’s proposed budget

Travelers will face higher Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) security fees as a provision of the Trump Administration’s current budget proposal for fiscal year 2019. Under the plan, the TSA Passenger Security fee would go up by $1 per trip in fiscal year 2019 and would be raised again to $1.65 the following year. The CBP immigration inspection fee would go up by $2 per entry while the customs user fee would be bumped up by $2.10. 

The boost in fees is expected to cost travelers $2.9 billion in the first year.  Airlines are opposing the fee hikes saying, “the increases cannot be justified.”

U.S. Passport fees to rise in April

As a reminder, effective April 2, 2018, the cost of getting a new U.S. passport will increase by $10. The Department of State said it needs to boost the execution fee by $10 to cover the rising costs of processing a new passport application. The total rate for obtaining a new adult passport will be $145, up from $135, while the price for a child’s passport will go up to $115.

The cost of a passport card will go up to $65 for adults and $50 for children.  Passport cards can be used to enter the United States at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. The passport card cannot be used for international air travel. The passport card is Real ID compliant and can be used for domestic air travel.

The $10 price increase does not apply to applicants renewing their passport by mail.