How Do I Renew a U.S. Passport?

What do I need to renew a U.S. passport, and what are the steps?

To renew a U.S. passport with form DS-82 you need four things: your most recent passport, a signed form DS-82, one passport photo, and a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State. Add a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order if your name has changed.

What you need

1. Signed form DS-82Form DS-82 is the U.S. Department of State's renewal application. An unsigned form is one of the most common reasons a renewal is held up.
   How to get it: Fill it in, print it, then sign and date it in black ink. If you go with PassportsAndVisas.com, we prepare the form for you in your portal and you sign it at home.
   Watch out: Use your legal name exactly as it should appear on the new passport, and don't forget the signature.
   Who needs it: Every adult renewing with form DS-82
2. Your most recent U.S. passportThe passport you are renewing goes in with the application. It has to be undamaged beyond normal wear and must never have been reported lost or stolen.
   How to get it: Put the passport itself in the package, not a copy.
   Watch out: A missing current passport is one of the gaps our pre-check finds most often.
   Who needs it: Every DS-82 renewal
3. One passport photoA DS-82 renewal needs one new passport photo. Photo problems are the issue our team catches most often before an application goes in.
   How to get it: Get a passport photo taken, or upload a clear selfie to your PassportsAndVisas.com portal. Use a white background, no glasses and no hat, and we turn it into a compliant passport photo.
   Watch out: Don't staple, fold or bend the photo.
   Who needs it: Every DS-82 renewal
4. PaymentOn form DS-82, the government fees are paid by check or money order made out to the U.S. Department of State.
   How to get it: Write the check for the right amount and date it. The fees are in the cost table further down.
   Watch out: A wrong amount, a wrong payee or a missing date is a common reason a renewal comes back.
   Who needs it: Every DS-82 renewal
5. Proof of a name changeIf the name on your passport differs from the name you use now, a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order lets you renew in your new name.
   How to get it: Include the document with your application.
   Watch out: Only 1% of the applications we pre-check are missing name-change proof, but when it's missing the renewal can't go ahead.
   Who needs it: Only travelers whose name has changed

What to do, step by step

1. Confirm you can renew with form DS-82Check the eligibility rules in the next section. Children under 16 can't renew and need a new passport in person instead.
2. Complete and sign form DS-82Fill in every field, then sign and date the form. Or let us handle it: PassportsAndVisas.com prepares your DS-82 in your portal, so all you do is print and sign.
3. Add one passport photoInclude one passport photo. Or upload a selfie to us and we format it into a compliant photo.
4. Prepare your paymentWrite a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State for the government fees.
5. Send the complete packageOn the government's routine renewal (form DS-82), the package goes through USPS. With PassportsAndVisas.com, you ship it to us with a prepaid FedEx label, and we pre-check everything and submit it for you.
6. Receive your new passportYour new passport comes first. On the government's own route, your old passport comes back separately, up to two weeks later.

If your trip is sooner than the government's timeline, or you'd rather not handle the paperwork, PassportsAndVisas.com takes over from step 2. PassportsAndVisas.com is a private company, not the U.S. government.

Can I renew my passport, or do I need a new one?

You can renew a U.S. passport with form DS-82 if your most recent passport was issued within the last 15 years, when you were 16 or older, and is undamaged and in your current name or backed by name-change proof. If you don't meet those rules, you apply for a new passport.

The rules for children work differently. Our guide to renewing a child's passport explains what parents do instead.

These renewal rules apply to U.S. passports only. If you hold another country's passport, or you need a visa for your destination, our visa checker shows what your passport needs.

Can I renew my U.S. passport online?

Online U.S. passport renewal is open to adults 25 or older whose 10-year passport expires within a year or expired less than five years ago. You also can't be changing your name or sex, must be in a U.S. state or territory, must have the passport in hand and undamaged, and can't be traveling for at least six weeks.

Online renewal suits a trip that is well over six weeks away, since it can't be sped up. If your trip is sooner, or you don't qualify online, the DS-82 route can be expedited. PassportsAndVisas.com handles that route for you, in as little as 3-4 business days.

How do I fill out and sign form DS-82?

Form DS-82 is completed in full, printed, then signed and dated by the applicant in black ink, using the legal name that should appear on the new passport. An unsigned DS-82 is one of the three mistakes we see most often.

• Your full legal name, exactly as it should read on the new passport
• Your date of birth and current address
• Details from your most recent passport
• Your signature and the date

Or let us handle it: PassportsAndVisas.com prepares your DS-82 in your portal from your answers. You print it, sign it at home, and our team checks it before it goes in.

What passport photo do I need to renew?

A U.S. passport renewal with form DS-82 needs one passport photo. Photo problems are the most common issue our pre-check catches, so the photo deserves extra care.

PassportsAndVisas.com's Digital Photo Service turns a selfie into a compliant passport photo. Upload a clear selfie to your portal with a white background, no glasses and no hat, and we format the photo for you.

How much does it cost to renew a U.S. passport?

An adult U.S. passport book renewal costs $130 in government application fees. Renewing the book and card together costs $160, and the card alone costs $30. Expediting and faster delivery are optional extras.

On form DS-82, the government fees are paid by check or money order made out to the U.S. Department of State. Our service fee is separate and goes to PassportsAndVisas.com.

Can I renew my passport at the post office or through the U.S. Postal Service?

You can't renew a U.S. passport in person at a post office. A DS-82 renewal travels through the U.S. Postal Service, but post office staff don't review or process renewals. The post office only carries the package.

Renewals don't need an acceptance agent or a post office visit, because you sign form DS-82 at home. Only new passports, child passports and lost or stolen replacements need the in-person step.

With PassportsAndVisas.com you skip the post office altogether. You sign at home and send the packet to us with a prepaid FedEx label. We pre-check everything and submit it to the U.S. Department of State for you, so you never have to deal with the government directly.

How long does passport renewal take, and can I expedite it?

U.S. passport renewal takes 4–6 weeks of government routine processing, or up to 10 weeks door to door with shipping. Expedited DS-82 processing takes 2–3 weeks, or up to 7 weeks door to door. Online renewals can't be expedited.

Our service fees are added to the government fees and never replace them. In our experience, government timeframes vary, so a traveler on a tight schedule can't count on them. That's where a fixed speed from us helps. Our guide to how long passport renewal takes goes through each stage.

What mistakes delay a passport renewal?

A passport renewal is most often held up by an unusable photo, a check with errors, an unsigned form DS-82, or a missing current passport. Missing name-change proof is rarer, but it stops a renewal just as surely.

Our guide to renewal mistakes that cause delays covers each fix in more detail.

What if my passport is expired or my trip is soon?

An expired U.S. passport can still be renewed when it meets the renewal rules. Online renewal accepts a 10-year passport that expired less than five years ago. A trip less than six weeks away rules out online renewal, so the DS-82 route, expedited, is the one to use.

Weddings, cruises and work trips often come up faster than a renewal takes. Our guide to getting an expedited passport compares every faster option.

Why renew through PassportsAndVisas.com?

PassportsAndVisas.com prepares your DS-82, pre-checks every document, submits your renewal for you and ships your new passport back by FedEx, from $199 plus government fees, in as little as 3-4 business days.

• We prepare your form DS-82 in your portal, so you only print and sign
• Our team reviews every document before submission, including your photo, your check and your signature
• No post office or acceptance agent visit: you ship to us with a prepaid FedEx label
• We submit your renewal and ship your new passport back by FedEx, with your old passport canceled and returned along with it
• You get text updates at every stage, from documents received to passport delivered
• Four speeds, from 12 business days down to 3-4 business days
• A registered passport expediter since 1992, with 500K+ travelers served and 11,766 customer reviews
• Inc. 5000 honoree three years running: 2015, 2016 and 2017

PassportsAndVisas.com is a private company, not the U.S. government. Questions before you order? Call us at (800) 860-8610.