Overview

Federal law says the President, working with the governor of a state, may waive U.S. passport application fees and file search fees for those who lost their U.S. passport in a major disaster. The law states the application fee can be waived for customers who lost their passport within the preceding three calendar years. The file search fee can be waived for customers who lost their passport within the preceding 18 months.  

The law states that fees will only be waived for customers who lost their U.S. passport books or passport cards as a direct result of the disasters listed on this webpage. The law also states that fees for a replacement passport cannot reimbursed by other sources, such as a homeowner's insurance policy.

How to Apply if you Qualify

You can only qualify for a fee waiver at this time if you lost your passport during one of the disasters listed on this webpage. If you've never had a U.S. passport, or you lost your passport as a result of a disaster other than one listed on this webpage, or you lost an expired passport, then you do not qualify for a fee waiver for a replacement passport. 

If you lost your U.S. passport book or passport card as a result of one of the disasters listed on this webpage, you must submit two forms and a new photo:

• Form DS-5504 (Replacement Passport Form)
• A new passport photo
• Form DS-64  (Lost and Stolen Passport Form)

On Section 2 of your Form DS-64, you should include:

• The name or description of the disaster that caused your loss 
• The address of the residence where the loss occurred 
• The approximate date when the loss occurred
• Certification that replacement passport fees will not be reimbursed by other sources, such as a homeowner's insurance policy

Note: you don't need to submit certification letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency when applying for your replacement passport. 

Submit your Application

Mail your completed Form DS-5504 (with new passport photo) and Form DS-64 to one of the two addresses in Philadelphia, PA listed on Page 2 of Form DS-5504. The time it takes to receive your passport changes throughout the year.  

If you have urgent international travel in the next 72 hours (3 business days), you may eligible to apply in person at a passport agency or center. Go to our Passport Agency and Center page for more information. 

Learn more about our current operations during the COVID-19 pandemic on our Update page.