Can you use an expired passport? Not for international travel, but it still has real uses. TSA will accept it for domestic flights for up to two years after it expires, it counts as primary proof of U.S. citizenship when you apply for a new one, and a still-valid foreign visa inside it can be used alongside your new passport. Outside those situations, expect it to be rejected.
International Travel Is Off the Table
No country will admit you on an expired U.S. passport, and no airline will board you for an international flight if the document has lapsed. Border officers check expiration dates, and an expired passport means denied entry or an immediate return flight at your expense.
The rule is actually stricter than the expiration date alone suggests. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your planned stay, not just valid on the day you arrive. The United States enforces this six-month rule for foreign visitors, though it exempts citizens of over 100 countries who only need a passport valid through their intended stay.1U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Six-Month Validity Update Destinations including Thailand, Indonesia, and China enforce the six-month rule strictly for U.S. passport holders. Check your expiration date against your return date plus six months, not your departure date.
Domestic Flights: The Two-Year Window
Domestic air travel is more forgiving. TSA currently accepts expired forms of identification, including U.S. passports, for up to two years after the expiration date.2Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint If your passport expired within the past two years, you can still use it to get through a checkpoint for a flight inside the United States.
REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, and travelers 18 and older now need either a REAL ID-compliant license, a passport, or another form of federally accepted identification to pass through security.3Transportation Security Administration. TSA Begins REAL ID Full Enforcement on May 7 A valid, unexpired passport satisfies this requirement.4Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID An expired passport still falls under TSA’s separate expired-ID policy so long as it’s within the two-year window. TSA can change that policy at any time.
Past Two Years, or No ID at All
Once your passport is more than two years past its expiration date, TSA will not accept it. If you arrive at a checkpoint without valid identification, TSA offers a paid identity verification service called ConfirmID. You pay a $45 fee through Pay.gov, and officers attempt to verify your identity through other means.5Transportation Security Administration. TSA ConfirmID There’s no guarantee it works, each adult without ID must go through the process separately, and the payment is valid for 10 days from the travel date you enter. Treat it as a backup, not a plan.
As General Identification, Mostly No
Outside airports, acceptance of an expired passport as ID is inconsistent. For most official purposes, such as opening a bank account or applying for government benefits, an expired passport will not be accepted.
Employment verification is the clearest example. The Form I-9 process requires all List A documents, which prove both identity and work authorization, to be unexpired, and a U.S. passport is a List A document.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity An employer who accepts an expired passport for I-9 purposes is violating federal requirements. In casual situations like buying a drink or picking up will-call tickets, some venues may accept an expired passport as a secondary ID, but don’t count on it.
Two Reasons To Hold Onto Your Old Passport
Don’t throw away or destroy an expired passport. It has two uses that catch people off guard right when they need them.
Primary Proof of U.S. Citizenship
When you apply for a new passport, you have to prove you’re a U.S. citizen. An undamaged, full-validity expired U.S. passport — one originally issued for 10 years for adults or 5 years for children under 16 — counts as primary citizenship evidence, the strongest category.7U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport Without it, you have to track down a certified birth certificate or other documentation, which can add days or weeks.
A Valid Visa in an Old Book
If your expired passport contains a visa that is still valid for another country, you don’t need a new visa just because you renewed. You travel with both books: the new passport and the old one containing the visa. The U.S. State Department confirms this arrangement for foreign visas used to enter the United States, and many other countries follow similar procedures.8U.S. Department of State. About Visas – The Basics Both passports must be from the same country and the visa must be undamaged. At a U.S. port of entry, a CBP officer reviews the visa in the old book and stamps admission into the new one with the annotation “VIOPP” (visa in other passport). Never try to peel a visa out of an old passport and stick it in a new one. Doing so permanently invalidates it.
Renewing Once It’s Expired
Which renewal path you qualify for depends on when your last passport was issued, your age, and whether you still have it in hand. There are three routes.
You can renew entirely online if your passport was originally valid for 10 years, expired less than 5 years ago (or is expiring within the next year), you’re 25 or older, you’re not changing your name or other personal information, and you’re not traveling internationally for at least 6 weeks. You also have to still possess the passport, and it can’t have been reported lost or stolen. Only routine processing is available online.9U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
You can renew by mail on Form DS-82 if your most recent passport was issued within the last 15 years, you were at least 16 when it was issued, the passport is undamaged, and it hasn’t been reported lost or stolen.10USA.gov. Renew an Adult Passport Name changes require legal documentation such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order. Mail-in is where you’d go for expedited service.11U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
You must apply in person on Form DS-11 if your passport was issued more than 15 years ago, was issued before your 16th birthday, or has been lost, stolen, or damaged. First-time applicants and all children under 16 also apply in person.12U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport Passport acceptance facilities include many post offices, libraries, and county clerk offices.
Routine processing currently takes 4 to 6 weeks, and expedited processing takes 2 to 3 weeks.13U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports Timeframes shift with demand, so check the State Department’s site before assuming you have room before a trip. Your new passport and your old cancelled one are typically mailed back separately, so the old book comes back to you and can go on doing the jobs it’s still good for.