Originally Posted by
etch5895
The notion of an expiring passport is really kind of silly. I mean, adults generally don't change in appearance too much, so it can't be only the picture.
I'm not so naive as to realize that the expiration and re-application process is mostly revenue generation. If I were king for a day, passports would be free (just another benefit of paying taxes and being a citizen of the country).
I agree that passport expirations are indeed for revenue generation. However, I don't think the first one should be free. Rather, I think there should be lower taxes and then you pay your $100 to get your passport which doesn't expire. The only time you'd need to pay again was getting another one (if you've completely run out of space) or adding pages. Adding additional pages would cost something minor like $20. This then allows those who use up the resources of the State Department to pay for it.