- Use Form DS-82 only if you meet all six mail-renewal conditions, including passport age, condition, and issuance requirements.
- Mail applicants must send their most recent passport and, when needed, legal name-change proof, with payment by personal check or money order.
- If travel is within 3 weeks, do not mail your application; follow the State Department’s urgent-travel appointment instructions.
The State Department lists six conditions for renewing a passport by mail, and no new restriction on mail renewal has been announced. For passport renewal by mail, use Form DS-82 only if you meet every condition below.
You must meet all six tests to renew by mail
Free toolU.S. Passport Photo RequirementsThe department's mail-renewal instructions describe who can use the mail process. The listed criteria include the passport's issuance date, the age of its holder when it was issued, and whether it has been reported lost or stolen.
- You can send your most recent passport with the application.
- The passport is not damaged beyond normal wear and tear.
- It has never been reported lost or stolen.
- It was issued within the last 15 years.
- It was issued when you were at least 16 and was valid for 10 years.
- It is in your current name, or you can provide a legal document showing your name change.
The requirements work together. Having an unexpired passport does not by itself establish eligibility, and an expired passport may still meet the issuance-date test if it was issued within the required period. Check the date and validity printed in the passport against each condition before preparing a packet.
Prepare the form, passport and payment before mailing
The department directs eligible applicants to submit the application with their most recent passport. Its forms page provides access to passport forms. Follow the current instructions for completing the renewal form and assembling the application.
- Confirm that you meet all six eligibility conditions.
- Complete the renewal form and check it against the department's current instructions.
- Include your most recent passport.
- If the passport is not in your current name, include a legal name-change document.
- Pay by personal check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.”
- Check the department's mail-renewal page for the current mailing instructions before sending the packet.
The supplied instructions specify a personal check or money order as the payment method. They do not support substituting cash or assuming that payment instructions for an overseas post apply to a domestic application.
The packet needs the passport and any required name-change proof
Use the checklist below to confirm the items supported by the department's eligibility and payment instructions. A name-change document is conditional: it is relevant if your passport does not show your current name.
| Item | Who needs it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Most recent passport | Every mail applicant | You must be able to submit it with the application. |
| Legal name-change document | Applicants whose passport is not in their current name | The document must establish the legal name change. |
| Personal check or money order | Applicants paying the application fee | Make it payable to “U.S. Department of State.” |
A name discrepancy can affect whether the mail route is available, not just how the application is completed. If you cannot provide the required proof or cannot submit your most recent passport, review the in-person route instead.
Applicants who fail a test generally need to apply in person
If you do not meet the mail-renewal requirements, the department directs you to apply in person using Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility or passport agency. Its application-location page explains where to apply.
A passport reported lost or stolen is not eligible for the mail-renewal process described above. Apply in person using Form DS-11.
Children under 16 cannot renew their passports. They must apply for a new passport; their passports are valid for 5 years. A parent or guardian should use the new-passport process rather than trying to file a renewal.
A limited-validity passport has an additional exception. To renew one by mail, you must previously have held a 10-year passport, and the limited validity cannot be because of multiple lost passports or multiple damaged passports. If that history applies, do not assume the ordinary checklist alone makes you eligible.
The online process is separate. The department's online-renewal instructions set an age requirement of 25 or older. Failing that online age test does not automatically rule out mail renewal; check the six mail conditions independently.
Mail and urgent-travel costs depend on the service you choose
The listed fees below are as of November 2026. The renewal fee varies according to whether you apply for a passport book, a card or both. Expedited service is an additional charge.
| Service or product | Fee or timing as of November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Passport book | $130 |
| Passport card | $30 |
| Passport book and card | $160 |
| Expedited service | Additional $60 |
| Travel timing | The department advises against mailing an application if travel is within 3 weeks. |
| Urgent appointment | If departing in under 3 weeks, make an appointment within 14 calendar days of travel. |
The department's fee page lists the charges. Check it again before paying in case the amount or instructions have changed.
For travel within the stated urgent window, the department advises against sending the application by mail. Its urgent-travel instructions direct travelers departing in under 3 weeks to make an appointment within 14 calendar days of travel.
The department's published guidance does not give a standard processing time for a mail renewal here. Do not plan a trip around an assumed turnaround; use the urgent-travel instructions if your departure is close.
Check eligibility and travel timing before sending the application
Before mailing, verify the current instructions and payment amount on the department's renewal and fee pages. If you do not meet the mail conditions, start with the DS-11 in-person process; if your trip is imminent, use the urgent appointment route.
