Damaged Passport: What Qualifies, Fees, and How to Replace

To replace a damaged U.S. passport, you apply in person at a passport acceptance facility using Form DS-11, submit the damaged book along with proof of citizenship, a government-issued photo ID, a passport photo, and a signed statement explaining how the damage happened, and pay the application and execution fees. Routine processing runs four to six weeks. Knowing how to replace a damaged passport matters because you cannot renew a damaged one by mail, and a border officer can refuse a passport that has been “materially changed in physical appearance or composition” or shows wear that renders it unfit as a travel document under 22 CFR § 51.4.¹

Is Your Passport Actually Damaged?

Minor curling of pages or small creases from years of use don’t invalidate a passport. The State Department’s line is whether the damage makes the book unfit as a travel document. Its guidance flags these problems specifically:²

Water damage, including stains, mold, pages stuck together, or ink that has bled and become unreadable.
Significant tears, including small tears in the margin of the data page.
Unofficial markings on the data page, such as stickers, non-government stamps, or personal notes.
Missing visa pages that have been torn, ripped, or cut.
A hole punch, which is sometimes confused with the cancellation marks government officials place on expired passports.

The regulation itself is broader, reaching any “unauthorized changes, obliterations, entries or photographs” and any damage to the electronic chip.¹ A torn cover, loose binding, or severely wrinkled pages all fall under material change. Pay particular attention to the data page: scratches or peeling laminate over your photo can prevent scanning at automated checkpoints and raise forgery suspicions with border agents.

A Broken Chip Alone Isn’t a Reason to Replace

Every U.S. passport book issued since 2007 has an electronic chip embedded in the back cover. If the chip is bent, punctured, or simply stops working but the rest of the book is fine, the passport remains valid until it expires. You’ll be processed by an officer in a staffed lane instead of using an automated e-passport gate.³ If whatever broke the chip also damaged the cover, binding, or pages, you still need a replacement.

What to Bring to Your Appointment

Because damage raises identity verification concerns, you cannot mail this in. You apply in person on Form DS-11, the same form used for first-time passports.⁴ Bring:

The damaged passport itself, even if it’s barely recognizable. This is not a lost passport, so don’t file Form DS-64 unless the damage is so severe you cannot submit the document at all.
Proof of U.S. citizenship: an original certified birth certificate or naturalization certificate. It will be returned after your new passport is issued.
A valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID.
A signed statement explaining the damage. Keep it brief and factual: what happened and roughly when.⁴
One recent color passport photo, 2 by 2 inches, taken within the last six months, with a white or off-white background and a neutral expression.⁵
Photocopies of your ID and citizenship documents for the application file.

Bring originals of everything. The most common on-the-spot rejection is a photocopy where an original was required, or a photo that misses the specifications. If the acceptance facility offers photos, taking them there removes that risk.

Do not sign the DS-11 before you arrive. An authorized agent has to witness the signature.

What It Costs

Two separate payments are involved: one to the U.S. Department of State for the application, and one to the acceptance facility for the execution.⁶ For adults (16 and older):

Passport book: $130 application + $35 execution = $165.
Passport card: $30 application + $35 execution = $65.
Book and card together: $160 application + $35 execution = $195.

For minors under 16, the application fees are lower ($100 for a book, $15 for a card, $115 for both), and the $35 execution fee still applies.⁷ Minors must appear in person with both parents or guardians, or with consent documentation if one parent cannot attend. These figures are current as of February 2026. Payment methods vary by facility; most accept checks or money orders payable to the U.S. Department of State.

Optional add-ons: expedited processing costs an extra $60,⁸ and 1-3 day delivery of the finished book costs $22.05 (not available for cards).⁶ An adult replacement book with both add-ons runs $247.05.

Where to Apply and How Long It Takes

Acceptance facilities are usually local post offices, county clerk’s offices, or public libraries designated by the State Department. Most require an appointment. Routine processing currently runs four to six weeks from submission. Paying the $60 expedited fee brings that down to two to three weeks.⁹ Application status is available online roughly two weeks after submission. Your new passport and your returned citizenship documents often arrive in separate mailings.

Check every detail on the new book the day it arrives. A typo in your name or a wrong birth date is far easier to fix now than at a check-in counter.

If You’re Traveling Soon

Routine processing won’t help if your trip is within two weeks. The State Department has two faster paths.

Urgent Travel Appointments

You can book an appointment at a regional passport agency or center if your international travel is within 14 calendar days, or within 28 days if you also need a foreign visa stamped in the new passport.⁸ These are separate from local acceptance facilities and are available only at the roughly two dozen passport agencies around the country. Book as soon as you realize the problem; availability is not guaranteed.

Life-or-Death Emergencies

A narrower category applies when an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. For this purpose, “immediate family” means a parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. Aunts, uncles, and cousins do not qualify. Traveling abroad for your own medical treatment also does not qualify.¹⁰

You’ll need proof: a death certificate, a mortuary statement, or a letter on hospital letterhead signed by a doctor. Documents not in English must be professionally translated. Try the online appointment system first. If nothing is available, call 1-877-487-2778 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET) or 202-647-4000 on evenings, weekends, and federal holidays.¹⁰

If You Discover the Damage Overseas

Apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate rather than a domestic acceptance facility. The process mirrors the domestic one: an unsigned DS-11, a passport photo, the damaged passport, proof of citizenship, and a signed statement explaining the damage. You must appear in person, and appointments are required. Routine processing at posts generally runs four to six weeks. Note any imminent travel dates on your application, since consular staff can sometimes expedite urgent cases. Finished passports are typically returned by courier rather than in person.

Fee Waivers After a Federally Declared Disaster

If your passport was destroyed or damaged in a federally declared disaster, the Disaster Recovery Reform Act allows replacement at no application-fee cost. The $60 expedited fee cannot be waived. To qualify, submit Form DS-5504 with Form DS-64. The DS-64 must include the name of the disaster, the address where the loss occurred, the approximate date, and a statement that no other source, such as homeowner’s insurance, will reimburse the fees.²

Why the Written Statement Matters

Your passport is federal property. Under 22 CFR § 51.7, it belongs to the U.S. government at all times and must be returned on demand.¹¹ Accidental damage is one thing; intentional alteration is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1543, carrying up to 10 years in prison for forging, counterfeiting, or mutilating a passport with the intent that it be used.¹² Border and passport agents are trained to tell accidental damage from deliberate tampering. A book that looks like someone tried to remove a page, alter a photo, or peel back laminate will draw a very different response than one with water stains. The honest, factual statement you submit with your DS-11 is how you document that nothing criminal happened.

1
eCFR. 22 CFR 51.4 – Validity of Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Replacing Your U.S. Passport After a Disaster
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U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services
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U.S. Embassy & Consulates. DS-11 and Statement of Condition – Damaged Passports
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
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U.S. Department of State. Get My Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
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eCFR. 22 CFR 51.7 – Passport Property of the U.S. Government
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1543 – Forgery or False Use of Passport