Census Bureau Triples Fee for Proving You Exist
Published Date: 7/8/2026
Rule
Summary
Starting August 7, 2026, the Census Bureau is raising the Age Search fee from $65 to $155 and the rush fee from $20 to $50. This service helps people get official proof of their age from old census records, especially if they don’t have a birth certificate. These changes cover the real costs of processing requests, which haven’t been updated since 2004.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Age Search fee rises to $155
If you request an Age Search transcript from the Census Bureau, the fee for a search of one census for one person increases from $65.00 to $155.00. This change takes effect August 7, 2026 and applies when the Census Bureau produces one transcript.
Rush (expedited) fee increases to $50
If you pay for expedited Age Search service to get results within one day, the additional charge increases from $20.00 per case to $50.00 per case. The higher rush fee is effective August 7, 2026.
Copy and full-schedule fees set
The rule sets other Age Search fees: each additional copy of a census transcript costs $2.00, and each full schedule requested costs $10.00 (the $10.00 is in addition to the $155.00 transcript fee). These fees apply starting August 7, 2026.
Small businesses minimally affected
The Census Bureau states that most respondents are individuals, not businesses, and that any businesses affected by the fee increase will be impacted only minimally. The agency certifies the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
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Key Dates
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