Passport fees increase to $85

The cost to obtain a passport in Crow Wing County will increase Aug. 19.

People age 16 or older will pay $85, up from $60 for a passport. Children younger than 16 will pay $70, up from $40. The fees are split between the State Department and the county. Expedited services also will increase from $40 to $55.

People who want to renew their passport within five years of expiration will see an increase from $40 to $55.

The increase is due to the results of an independent cost-of-service study conducted by the state department Bureau of Consular Affairs.

To get a passport, a person must get a photo taken and have a certified birth certificate. If an applicant was born in Minnesota, the birth certificate can be obtained from any courthouse in the state through the new state computer system for $13.

It takes six weeks for a passport to be processed.

Passport applications are available at the treasurer's office in the Crow Wing County Courthouse in Brainerd. For more information call the treasurer's office at 824-1300.