How to renew a US passport

Renew by mail (DS-82)

You can renew by mail if all of these are true about your most recent passport:

• You can send it with your application
• It isn’t damaged beyond normal wear and tear
• It was never reported lost or stolen
• It was issued in the last 15 years, when you were 16 or older
• It is in your current name, or you can document the change (such as a marriage certificate)

By mail you send a printed 2 × 2 photo with the form.

Renew online

Adults who meet the online rules can renew online and upload a digital photo instead of a print. See who can renew online and the online renewal photo.

When you must apply in person

• You don’t meet the renewal conditions above
• The passport is significantly damaged
• It is for a child under 16 (see child passport)

Fees

An adult book renewal is $130 (card $30, both $160), plus $60 if you expedite. See all passport fees.

Who can renew online

You can renew online only if all of these are true:

• Your passport is or was valid for 10 years
• It expires within the next year, or expired less than 5 years ago
• You are 25 or older
• You aren’t changing your name, sex or other personal details
• You won’t travel abroad for at least 6 weeks after you submit
• You are in a US state or territory when you submit
• You have the passport, and it isn’t damaged or reported lost or stolen

Switching from a card to a book, or a book to a card, can’t be done online. Renew by mail.

How to renew by mail, step by step

1. Fill in form DS-82

   Use the State Department’s Form Filler on a computer. Print it single-sided, since double-sided forms aren’t accepted. Sign and date it.

2. Attach one photo

   Staple it to the form with four staples, one in each corner, placed vertically near the edges. Don’t bend it. See the passport photo rules.

3. Add your old passport

   Include your most recent passport. If your name changed, add a certified copy of the marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order.

4. Pay by check or money order

   Make it payable to “U.S. Department of State.” Write your full name and date of birth on the front. Never send cash.

5. Mail it

   Send it to the right address below. USPS suggests a tracked service, such as Priority Mail with Delivery or Signature Confirmation, or Priority Mail Express.

Where to mail form DS-82

• Routine, if you live in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York or Texas: National Passport Processing Center, Post Office Box 640155, Irving, TX 75064-0155
• Routine, any other state: National Passport Processing Center, Post Office Box 90155, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155
• Expedited: write “EXPEDITE” on the envelope and mail it to National Passport Processing Center, Post Office Box 90955, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955

You mail DS-82 yourself. Postal staff shouldn’t charge the $35 facility fee or review a renewal form.

How long a passport renewal takes

Plan for three stages. Your application can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. Processing takes 4–6 weeks, or 2–3 weeks expedited. The passport can take up to 2 weeks to reach you.

The first “In Process” status may show about 2 weeks after you mail it. Track it at passportstatus.state.gov.

Traveling in under 3 weeks? Make an appointment at a passport agency. It must be within 14 calendar days of your trip.

What happens to your old passport

By mail, your old passport comes back in a separate envelope. It can arrive up to 2 weeks after the new one.

Online, your old passport is canceled as soon as you submit. Don’t mail it in. Keep it, because an old passport can still prove your citizenship.

A new book arrives by a trackable service. A passport card comes by First Class Mail.

Questions