How to Renew an Expired US Passport
You can renew your expired U.S. passport by mail or in person. Doing it by mail is often faster and more convenient. You can renew by mail if your passport was issued after you turned 16, is in your current legal name, was issued within the last 15 years and is undamaged. If you changed your name but have no legal documentation as proof, or if your passport was issued when you were younger than age 16, you must renew in person. An in-person application is also required if your expired passport was issued more than 15 years ago or has been damaged, lost or stolen. You should also apply in person if you need your expired passport renewed in a hurry.
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Things You'll Need
- Form DS-82, if renewing by mail
- Form DS-11, if renewing in person
- Proof of U.S. citizenship and identity if renewing in person
- Two passport photos
- Applicable passport fees
- Legal documentation of any name change
Instructions
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Renewing Your Expired Passport By Mail
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Complete and print Form DS-82: Application for a U.S. Passport by Mail, on the Web site of the U.S. Department of State. You can also print blank copies of Form DS-82 to complete offline.
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Have two passport photos taken. You can have a family member or relative take them, or have them taken for a fee at your local Passport Acceptance Facility or a retail store that does passport photos. Photos must be identical. They should be color photos taken against a plain background in a front-facing head and shoulders pose. The required size is 2 inches by 2 inches.
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3
In a padded envelope, include completed form DS-82; your expired passport, whether in book or card form; two passport photos; the appropriate fees; and, if applicable, the original documents, such as a court order or marriage certificate, showing that you legally changed your name from that on your expired passport. Your expired passport and official documents will be returned to you with your new passport.
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Send your renewal passport package, with delivery confirmation requested, to the address indicated on Form DS-82. To expedite your passport application, include the additional fee and mark the outside envelope with the word EXPEDITE. Overnight or Priority Mail to the address for expedited service indicated on Form DS-82.
Renewing Your Expired Passport In Person
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5
Complete and print, but do not sign, Form DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport, on the Web site of the U.S. Department of State. You can print blank copies of Form DS-11 to complete offline.
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6
Have two passport photos taken. You can have a family member or relative take them, or have them taken for a fee at your local Passport Acceptance Facility or a retail store that does passport photos. Photos must be identical. They should be color photos taken against a plain background in a front-facing head and shoulders pose. The required size is 2 inches by 2 inches.
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Take the completed application, your passport photos, proof of U.S. citizenship and proof of identity to your nearest Passport Acceptance Facility. You can find the one closest to you on the Web site of the U.S. Department of State.
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When instructed to do so by the Passport Acceptance Facility official, sign the application and submit the applicable fees.
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Tips & Warnings
Copies of forms DS-82 and DS-11 can be obtained at certain U.S. post offices, public libraries, court clerks' offices and other county, state, or municipal government offices designated as Passport Acceptance Facilities, as well as at designated Regional Passport Agencies. These facilities also accept passport applications. Check the Web site of the U.S. Department of State for facilities near you. If you are a U.S. citizen living outside the country, you can renew your passport at a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate. If you are a U.S. citizen living in Canada, you can use Form DS-82. Documents to prove U.S. citizenship include your expired U.S. passport and your birth certificate. You may also use a baptismal certificate, hospital records, school records, insurance files, or notarized affidavits from people who have knowledge of your birth, along with an official notice from your birth state that no record of your birth exists. Documents to prove your identity include your expired U.S. passport; valid driver's license; military or government employee identification card; or certificates of naturalization or citizenship. If you do not have any of these proofs of identity, someone who has known you for at least two years must appear with you when you apply and show proof of his or her identity by providing any of the above-mentioned documents.
If you pay child support, your payments must be current in order to receive a passport.
