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How to Renew a U.S. Passport for the First Time as an Adult?

If your first U.S. passport is expired or will soon expire, you are eligible to renew your passport.

You can renew your passport for the first time in five steps.

Fill-out U.S. Passport Forms here.

Step 1 of 5 — Fill out Form DS-82

Form DS-82, U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals, is a form that U.S. citizens and nationals, who have U.S. passports, use to renew their passports by mail. An applicant may use Form DS-82 if his or her current passport has expired or is near its end of validity date.

You can renew your passport by mail if all of the following statements are true:

  1. You have your passport in your possession to submit with your application.
  2. Your passport is undamaged other than normal wear and tear.
  3. Your passport was issued when you were age 16 or older.
  4. Your passport was issued within the last 15 years.
  5. Your passport was issued in your current name or you can document your name change.

If any statement is not applicable, you must apply in person.

If you are applying in person, the passport form you should use is Form DS-11, U.S. Passport Application.

 

How to fill out Form DS-82?

Fill out the two pages of Form DS-82.

First page

Select the type of passport you are applying for: U.S. passport card, U.S. passport book, or both. Then, answer the following fields:

1. Name — Enter your full legal name as it is on your citizenship document.

2. Date of birth — Enter your date of birth following the format: MM/DD/YYYY.

3. Sex — Select your gender. Mark “M” for male and “F” for female.

4. Place of Birth — Enter your place of birth, regardless if it is in the U.S. or another country.

5. Social Security number — Enter your SSN. If you do not have one yet, enter zeros (000-00-0000).

6. Email — Enter an active email address where you can receive an email.

7. Primary Contact Phone Number — Enter a phone number where you can receive a call.

8. Mailing Address — Enter your mailing address. This address may be used to send your passport.

9. Names you have used — Enter all of your previous legal names, if applicable.

10. Passport Book and/or Passport Card Information — Enter your name as printed on your most recent U.S. passport book or passport card, your most recent passport book or passport number, and the date it was issued. If you are renewing a passport book and a passport card, enter the information for both.

11. Name Change Information — Use this section if your current name is different from the name you have on your last U.S. passport book or passport card. Determine if the change is due to marriage or court order by marking the appropriate box. Enter the place where and date when the name change happened.

Second page

  • Name of Applicant — Enter your full legal name as it is on your citizenship document.
  • Date of Birth — Enter your date of birth following the format: MM/DD/YYYY.

12. Height — Enter your height in feet and inches or centimeters.

13. Hair Color — Enter your natural hair color.

14. Eye Color — Enter your natural eye color.

15. Occupation — Enter your occupation.

16. Employer or School — Enter the name of your employer or school, if applicable.

17. Additional Contact Phone Number — Enter an additional phone number.

18. Permanent Address — Enter your permanent address.

19. Emergency Contact — Enter the information of an emergency contact who is not traveling with you.

20. Travel Plans — Enter the departure and return dates and the countries you will visit if you have an upcoming travel plan.

Get access to U.S. Passport Forms here.

 

Step 2 of 5 — Gather requirements

You must submit the following documents with Form DS-82:

  • Most recently issued U.S. passport (book or card, or both)
  • Name change document — Submit a certified copy of the legal name change document if you are currently using a different name from the name on your most recent U.S. passport.
  • A photo of you — Your photo must meet the following standards:
    • Colored and high-resolution
    • Size is 2”x2” or 51×51 cm
    • The background is plain white or off-white

 

Step 3 of 5 — Prepare the fees

Together with all the requirements, send a personal check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.”

Here are the appropriate fees:

Product Application Fee
Passport Book $110
Passport Card $30
Passport Book and Card $140

 

Step 4 of 5 — Mail Form DS-82 and other requirements

Mail the completed application for renewal form and all the other requirements to one of the following addresses, depending on the type of service you prefer:

Routine Service

(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 Service

(If you live in any other state or Canada):

                National Passport Processing Center

                Post Office Box 90155

                Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155

Expedited Service

(Additional fee applies. For any state or Canada):

Write “EXPEDITE” on the outside of the mailing envelope.

                National Passport Processing Center

                Post Office Box 90955

                Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955

When mailing your application for renewal from the United States, you should use:

  • An envelope large enough to fit the application form without folding it;
  • A mailing service by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS); and
  • A trackable delivery method, able to deliver to a P.O. box address.

 

Step 5 of 5 — Wait for your new passport

You can track your application online at the official website of the Department of State or by calling the National Passport Information Center. Updates are available 14 days after you mailed your application.

The following are the processing times for passport renewal:

  • Routine — Six to eight weeks
  • Expedited — Two to three weeks
  • Expedited at an agency — Eight business days

Routine and expedited processing times include mailing time, while expedited at agency processing time does not include mailing time.

Download and print U.S. Passport Forms here.