Renew by Mail

Getting a New Passport for a Child: You cannot renew a passport for a child under age 16. You must apply again in person using Form DS-11. 

Renewing a Passport Outside the United States: Learn how to renew your U.S. passport if you live in a foreign country.

Watch this video to learn if you can renew your passport by mail.

Step One

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Confirm you meet the requirements

Renew by mail if you respond "Yes" to all statements below about your most recent passport:

  • I can submit it with my application.
  • It is not damaged (other than normal wear and tear).
  • I have never reported it lost or stolen.
  • It was issued within the last 15 years.
  • It was issued when I was age 16 or older.
  • It was issued in my current name, or I can provide another document such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree that is evidence of my name change.
  • It was not limited to less than the normal 10 year period of validity because I've lost multiple passports or I've had multiple damaged passports. 

If you do not meet these requirements to renew, go to our Apply in Person page to learn how to apply for your passport. 

Step Two

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Fill out your form

Use our Form Filler tool to save time completing the renewal application. Fill out your form online and then print it. If you are experiencing technical issues with the Form Filler, download a PDF

Fill Out Form DS-82 Online

Tips to complete your form:

  • Complete all parts of the form. Sign and date your form before you mail it.
  • Print your form on single-sided paper. We do not accept double-sided forms. 
  • Double check the information you entered on the form filler for your date of birth and previous passport issuance date if you did not get the form you expected to receive.
  • You can renew a passport book, a passport card, or both documents.
  • Use Form DS-82 to apply for your first passport book if you only have a passport card, or to apply for your first passport card if you only have a passport book.  
  • You may get a larger passport book with more visa pages, at no additional cost, by checking the 'large book' box at the top of the DS-82.
  • If renewing from Canada, do not include your Canadian Social Insurance Number on the form in place of your U.S. Social Security number. 

Step Three

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Submit your most recent U.S. passport

When you renew by mail or in person, you must submit your most recent passport(s) with your application. We will return your most recent passport book or card, but generally it will come in a separate mailing up to 8 weeks after your completed passport arrives. Learn below what document to submit based on what you want to renew:

 

Document (s) you want to renew What to submit
Passport Book and Card Passport Book and Card
Passport Book Passport Book
Passport Card Passport Card
I want to get my first card but only have a book Passport Book
I want to get my first book but only have a card Passport Card

Step Four

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Submit other documents if you are changing your name

If the name you are currently using is different from the name on your most recent U.S. passport, you must provide a certified copy of the legal name change document. Examples include:

  • Marriage certificate
  • Divorce decree
  • Court-ordered name change document

Your name change document will be returned to you in a separate mailing from your new passport.

Tips for renewing from Canada:

  • If your Canadian divorce decree does not specify a spouse is returning to their maiden name, you must provide proof of your birth or maiden name (such as an original or certified copy of your birth certificate).

Step Five

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Provide a photo

Go to our Photo Requirements page to see examples of photos and a full list of requirements.

Photo tips

  1. Submit one color photo, taken in last 6 months.
  2. Use a clear image of your face. 
  3. Do not digitally retouch or change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, or artificial intelligence. 
  4. Have someone else take your photo. No selfies.
  5. Take off your eyeglasses for your photo.
  6. Use a white or off-white background without shadows, texture, or lines.

 Stapling your photo to the application:

  • Use four staples vertically in the corners as close to the outer edges as possible. See example below.
  • Do not bend the photo.

Step Six

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Calculate fees

Pay using a personal check or money order and make it payable to the U.S. Department of State. Do not send cash.

Product Form Application Fee
Passport Book DS-82 $130
Passport Card  DS-82 $30
Passport Book & Card DS-82 $160
  • The application fees listed above are for routine service. If you want expedited service, add $60 to your check or money order.
  • Go to our Passport Fees page to learn more about how much it costs to apply for a passport and how you can pay.
  • Please print the full name and date of birth of the applicant on the front of the check* or money order.
  • Renewing from Canada? Personal checks or money orders must draw on U.S. financial institutions based in the United States and be payable in U.S. dollars. Acceptable U.S. checks and money orders must have a 9-digit routing number. Do not include 1-2 day or express delivery fees with your payment. These services are not available to U.S. residents in Canada.

*How to fill out your check 

Step Seven

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Mail completed application and supporting documents

Mail your completed application and supporting documents to one of the addresses below. You must:

  • Sign and date the form
  • Include your most recent passport
  • Include your name change document (if applicable)
  • Provide one photo
  • Include your fees

Where you send the application depends on where you live, and how quickly you want us to process your passport. 

If you live in the United Statesuse the United States Postal Service (USPS) to mail your renewal application and supporting documents. If you live in Canada, use Canada Post. 

Where to Send My Application and Supporting Documents

I want routine service and I live in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, or Texas. I want routine service and I live in any other state or in Canada. I want expedited service.
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 640155
Irving, TX 75064-0155
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90155
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155

Write "EXPEDITE" on the outside of the mailing envelope: 

National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955

Want Faster Delivery?

  • You may choose one or both of the following shipment options:
    • Delivery to us: Purchase USPS' Priority Mail Express for faster shipping of your application to us. The price for this service varies depending on the area of the country.
    • Return to you: Pay $19.53 for 1-2 day delivery. This means you will receive your passport 1-2 days after we send it. Include the fee with your passport fee in your check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State for fastest return shipping. Do not submit a return envelope to us with postage pre-paid. 
  • You may receive your passport and the supporting documents submitted with your application in separate mailings.
  • If you are renewing a passport card, we will send it to you via First Class Mail. We do not use 1-2 day delivery services for passport card only applications.

Shipping Reminders

Do not send your application using delivery services such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL. Only USPS or Canada Post can deliver to the PO Box addresses listed on Form DS-82. If you use UPS, FedEx, DHL, or another company to send your application, the application will be returned to you.

Make sure you include enough postage to mail your application and supporting documents. Check with USPS on shipment options. 

Get My Passport FastYou may be eligible to renew in person at a passport agency or center if you need a passport quickly. 

Outside the United States (any country besides Canada): Contact your U.S. embassy and consulate.

 

 

Step Eight

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Track your application status

You can subscribe to email updates about your application status, and learn more about each status update.

Note: It may take 2 weeks from the day you apply until your application status is “In Process.” During these 2 weeks, your application is delivered to a mail facility, your payment is processed, and your application is scanned and sent to us. If your passport status update says “Not Available,” your application and supporting documents are safely on their way to us.

FAQs

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Can I renew at an acceptance facility?

No. If you are renewing your passport with Form DS-82, acceptance facilities will not take your application. Acceptance facilities should never charge you a $35 fee for renewing your passport. These locations should only charge you a $35 fee if you are applying using Form DS-11.

You must mail in your renewal application (Form DS-82) yourself. Mailing your Form DS-82 can be confusing since some post offices are also passport acceptance facilities. However, postal employees should not review your Form DS-82 renewal application and supporting documents before you mail it. We recommend you ask USPS to send your Form DS-82 and supporting documents using a trackable delivery method. Do not use UPS, FedEx, or DHL since the address you need to send your Form DS-82 and supporting documents to is a Post Office (PO) Box. 

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What is normal "wear and tear" of a passport?

Normal "wear and tear" of a U.S. passport is expected and does not count as "damage." Normal wear includes the bend of a passport after being carried in your back pocket or fanning of the visa pages after extensive opening and closing.

If your passport has been significantly damaged, especially the book cover or the page displaying your personal data and photo, you cannot renew it and must apply for a new passport. Damage that might require you to apply in person for a new passport includes water damage, a significant tear, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages (torn out), a hole punch, or other injuries.

 

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Can I renew at a passport agency or center instead of mailing in my renewal application?

Yes, but you can only renew in person at a passport agency or center if you meet the requirements on our Get my Passport Fast page. 

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If I already have a passport book or card, can I use the DS-82 to get the other document?

Yes.

If you have a passport book and you are eligible to use Form DS-82, you may apply for a passport card as a renewal by mail even if it is your first passport card.

If you have a passport card and you are eligible to use Form DS-82, you may apply for a passport book as a renewal by mail even if it is your first passport book. 

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Can I renew my passport if it's still valid?

Yes. Your passport does not have to be expired for you to renew it. 

We recommend renewing your passport well ahead of planned international travel, even if it still has a few months validity left on it. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Learn more about your destination's entry requirements.

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I got a letter requesting that I resubmit my Form DS-82. What should I do?

When you renew by mail, our intake facility will review your application and supporting documents before an agency or center begins processing it.

The intake facility will send you a letter if you did not complete the application or provide all supporting documents. The letter may include a QR code with a link to our website. Common reasons for getting this letter include:

  • No signature or date on your form
  • Bad or missing photo
  • Pages of your form are missing
  • Wrong or missing fees
  • Most recent passport is missing
  • Most recent passport issued over 15 years ago

Follow the instructions in the letter. You must include the letter we sent you when you resubmit the new application. 

When your application is at the intake facility, your application status will show as "Not Available" if you check our Online Passport Status System. Your application will be "In Process" once a passport agency or center begins processing your new application. 

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Can I renew my passport if it's expired?

Yes, but the passport must have been issued within the last 15 years.

In addition, you must have the passport in your possession, it cannot be damaged, you must have been age 16 or older when the passport was issued, and it must have been issued in your current name or you must show legal proof of your name change.

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Can I send multiple renewal applications in one envelope?

Yes. If your family member or spouse is also renewing a passport, you may want to send multiple applications in the same envelope. You can pay for the applications using one check or money order. Make sure to add up the correct fees for multiple applications. 

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Once I renew my passport, can I use a valid visa with my old passport?

Yes. Once you receive your new passport, your old passport is not valid for international travel. However, if your old passport is linked to a valid visa, you can still use the valid visa. You must travel with both your new and old passport in this case.

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How will you send my passport and supporting documents?

After we print your passport, we will send it to you and return your supporting documents. How we send your passport and supporting documents depends if you applied for a book and/or a card, if you paid an additional fee for 1-2 day delivery, and where you live.     

 I applied for a passport book only: You may receive your newly-issued passport and your citizenship documents in two separate mailings. You may wait 8 weeks after receiving your passport before you receive a second mailing with your citizenship documents. We can send your passport book via a 1-2 day delivery service.

I applied for a passport card only: You may receive your newly-issued passport card and your citizenship documents in two separate mailings. You may wait 8 weeks after receiving your passport before you receive a second mailing with your citizenship documents. We only send the passport card via First Class Mail. We do not send cards via 1-2 day delivery services.

I applied for both a passport book and passport card: You may receive three separate mailings; one with your citizenship documents, one with your newly-issued passport book, and one with your newly-issued passport card. You may wait 8 weeks after receiving your passport book before you receive a second and third mailing with your passport card and citizenship documents.

I live in Canada: If you live in Canada, send the renewal application to us via Canada Post. We will return your passport and supporting documents to you via USPS First Class Mail. One-to-two day and express delivery service is not available if you live in Canada.

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Will I get a new passport number when I renew my passport?

When you receive your new passport, the number on the document will be different from the number on your previous passport. 

Please note:

 

Last Updated: September 26, 2023