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US Department Of State Hit With Class Action Over Passport Fees

Image Credits: Reuters

The U.S. State Department has overcharged millions of Americans over two decades with a $60 fee to fast-track passport applications, according to a new lawsuit in California federal court.

According to Reuters, the proposed class action filed, opens new tab by an Oakland resident on Friday said the State Department’s fee for an expedited two-to-three-week turnaround was unjustified. Routine processing takes four to six weeks.

Applicants already pay $100 or more for new passports or renewals. The lawsuit asked the court to declare the $60 fee excessive and order the “return or refund of all expedited passport processing fees unlawfully and arbitrarily charged during the class period.”

The number of U.S. passports issued annually rose from 13.5 million in 2013 to more than 24 million last year, according to State Department statistics.

The State Department did not charge for expedited processing before 1994 if an applicant could show urgent travel needs, the lawsuit said. It raised the price for the service from $35 to $60 in 2002.


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