If you’ve recently paid the expedited fee for renewing or applying for a passport, you may be eligible to join in on a current class action lawsuit, alleging that the State Department is wrongfully overcharging Americans for the expedited processing fee.
Bourque v. United States, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California was filed back in October 2024. The Plaintiff contends that the U.S. Department of State unlawfully charged applicants on fees that exceed the actual costs of the processing service.
Expedited passport applications currently require a $60 processing fee. The Plaintiff argues this is above what the State Department is authorized to charge.
Expedited passport fees
The U.S. Department of State offers the option to expedite a passport for travelers in a bind. However, it does come at an added fee to the already over $100 charge for the standard application or renewal fee.
Expedited fees didn’t exist prior to 1994, so long as applicants were able to show urgent need for the expedited process. The fee began at $35 before it was raised to its current $60 in 2002.
The standard processing time for a passport is anywhere from six to nine weeks, including mailing time. Expediting the process will get you your passport in anywhere from two to three weeks, not including mailing time. If a passport is urgently needed before the two to three week period, Americans can go to a passport agency to apply directly there for a more immediate solution. Find a passport agency near you.
How to qualify
In order to join the lawsuit, you must have proof that you paid an expedited passport fee in the last seven years. You can find this form online to see if you qualify.
How to join the lawsuit
The lawsuit details the Plaintiff seeks the “Court declare the State Department’s expedited passport fee unlawfully excessive, in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 9701, and award Plaintiff and the proposed Class recovery of amounts charged in excess of statutory authorization.”
Once it’s confirmed that you qualify, you will be able to explore compensation options for the overcharge.
Read through the lawsuit yourself to see if it applies to you.