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Renew Your Passport by Mail
Find out if you meet the requirements to renew your passport. Learn how to renew it by mail.
What to know before you start
- Consider the total time it will take to get a passport before you book travel.
- If you are traveling in less than 3 weeks, make an appointment. Your appointment must be within 14 calendar days of your travel date.
- You cannot renew a passport for a child under age 16. You must apply for a new passport for your child.
- If you don’t meet the requirements to renew your passport, you must apply again in person. This includes if your passport was lost or stolen, or was issued more than 15 years ago.
- Renewing a U.S. passport outside the United States is different than inside the United States. Learn how to renew from Canada or visit your local U.S. embassy or consulate.
Steps to renew by mail
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You can renew by mail if:
- You can submit your most recent passport with your application.
- If you have a passport book and want to get your first passport card, submit your book. If you have a passport card and want to get your first passport book, submit your card.
- Your passport has never been reported lost or stolen.
- Your passport was issued within the last 15 years.
- Your passport was issued when you were age 16 or older and was valid for 10 years.
- Your passport was issued in your current name, or you can provide a document like a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order to show you have changed your name.
- Your passport is not damaged, other than normal wear and tear.
Requirements to renew limited-validity passports
If you want to renew a limited-validity passport that is valid for less than the normal period of 10 years, you must meet these requirements:
- You must have a previous passport that was valid for 10 years.
- Your passport cannot be limited because you’ve lost multiple passports.
- Your passport cannot be limited because you’ve had multiple damaged passports.
What to do if you don't meet renewal requirements
If you do not meet these requirements to renew by mail, you must apply in person.
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Learn how to get a passport if you are over age 18. We can tell you what steps to follow and how much it costs to get a passport.
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Learn how to get a passport for your child. Passports for children under age 16 are valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed.
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Learn how to complete a passport application for 16-17 year olds. Follow these steps to get your first passport or renew an old passport.
- You can submit your most recent passport with your application.
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Use our Form Filler tool on a computer to help avoid errors. Print it on single-sided paper. We do not accept double-sided forms.
Complete all parts of the form. Sign and date your form before mailing it.
- If you didn’t get the form you expected in the form filler, check that you entered your date of birth and previous passport issuance date correctly.
- You can renew a passport book, a passport card, or both.
- 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.
- If you travel many times each year, get a larger passport book with more visa pages at no extra cost. Check the 'large book' box at the top of Form DS-82.
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When you renew by mail, you must submit your most recent passport with your application. We will return your most recent passport book or card in a separate mailing. This may take up to 2 weeks after you get your new passport.
What document to submit
Document 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
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If the name you are 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
We will return your name change document in a separate mailing.
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You must provide 1 photo with your application. Visit Passport Photos for requirements and to review examples.
Photo reminders
You must staple your photo to the application. Follow the instructions on the application. Use four staples vertically in the corners as close to the outer edges of the photo as possible.
Do not bend the photo.
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Your passport application fee depends on what document you are renewing.
Document Form Passport Application Fee $130
$30
Passport Book and Card
$160
How to pay your passport renewal fee
Pay using a personal check or money order. Make it payable to the U.S. Department of State. Do not send cash.
Write the full name and date of birth of the applicant on the front of the check or money order.
For more information on how to pay and a full list of fees, go to Passport Fees.
Expedited delivery fees
For faster (2-3 weeks) expedited service, add $60 to your application fee. If you want us to ship your completed passport in 1-3 days after we issue it, add $22.05 to your application fee.
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Mail your application using the United States Postal Service (USPS). Where you mail the application depends on where you live and how fast you need your passport.
If you want routine service and you live in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, or Texas
Mail your application to:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 640155
Irving, TX 75064-0155If you want routine service and you live in any other state
Mail your application to:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90155
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155If you want expedited service
Write "EXPEDITE" on the outside of the envelope. Mail your application to:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955If you are outside the United States or Canada
Contact the nearest U.S. embassy and consulate for instructions.
After you apply
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Track your application status
We will send status updates to the email address you provided on your application.
It may take 2 weeks from the day you mail your form and documents until you get the first application status of “In Process.”
You can also check the status of the application online.
If you have not received application status updates, want to change the email address receiving status updates, or want to learn more about each status update, visit Checking Your Application Status.
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Get your new passport and supporting documents in the mail
If you ordered a passport book, it will arrive via a trackable delivery service. If you ordered a passport card, it will arrive via First Class Mail.
We return your supporting documents by First Class Mail to the mailing address you listed on your application.
These documents include a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate.
You can expect to receive these documents up to 4 weeks after your passport book or card.
If you have been waiting more than 4 weeks for your documents, dial 877-487-2778 to report it.
If you want us to reimburse you for a lost supporting document, you must contact us within 90 days of the date when we mailed your passport.
Provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the document.