How to Change Your Name on a U.S. Passport: Forms, Proof, and Fees

To change your name on a US passport, you file one of three State Department forms with a certified legal document proving the change, a new passport photo, and your current passport. Which form you use depends on how long ago your passport was issued, when your name legally changed, and whether the passport is in your possession and undamaged. The online renewal system does not handle name changes at all, so plan on mailing paperwork or visiting an acceptance facility.

Pick the Right Form First

This is the step that decides everything else. Send the wrong form and your application comes back.

DS-5504 — Name Changed Within a Year of Issuance

If your passport is less than a year old and your legal name change also happened inside that one-year window, use Form DS-5504. Routine processing carries no application fee. Expedited service adds $60.1U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error2U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Submit by mail with your current passport, a certified name-change document, and one new photo.

DS-82 — Mail-In Renewal With a Name Change

Most adults changing a name will use Form DS-82. You qualify if you were at least 16 when your current passport was issued, it was issued less than 15 years ago, it is undamaged, and you can send it in with your application.3U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals Include a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing your new legal name.4U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail

DS-11 — In-Person Application

Form DS-11 covers everyone else: passport lost, stolen, or damaged; issued more than 15 years ago; issued before you turned 16; or never issued at all.5USAGov. Renew an Adult Passport You file DS-11 in person at a passport acceptance facility so an agent can witness your signature and verify your identity. Post offices, county clerk offices, and some libraries act as acceptance facilities.6U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport Do not sign the form before you get there.

One trap worth calling out: the State Department’s online renewal system does not accept name changes, no matter what else about your situation qualifies.7U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online

Proof of the Name Change

Federal regulations at 22 CFR 51.25 require you to document any difference between the name on your application and the name in your current passport. Three types of documents qualify:8eCFR. 22 CFR 51.25 – Name of Applicant to Be Used in Passport

  • A certified copy of a marriage certificate showing your new married name.
  • A divorce decree that specifically states you are returning to a former name. If the decree is silent on the name, it will not work on its own.
  • A court order granting a name change unrelated to marriage or divorce.

Send originals or certified copies. Photocopies are not accepted. Documents in a language other than English need a certified English translation. The documents are returned separately after your new passport is issued.

Photo, Social Security Number, and Other Basics

You need a new photo with every name-change application, even if you look identical to the picture in your current passport. The State Department’s rules:9U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos

  • 2 inches by 2 inches.
  • White or off-white background, no shadows or texture.
  • Neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed.
  • Taken within the last six months.

A smile showing teeth gets rejected. Eyeglasses are no longer permitted in passport photos at all.

Every applicant must list a Social Security number on the form. Federal law requires it, and failing to provide one carries a $500 IRS penalty.10Social Security Administration. RM 10225.120 – Social Security Number (SSNs) for Passport Applications The State Department verifies that number against SSA records, so if you have not yet updated your name with Social Security, do that first using Form SS-5 to avoid a mismatch that slows your application. There is no fee for an updated Social Security card, and in-person updates typically process within 48 hours. If filling out the passport form by hand, use black ink.

What It Costs

Expedited processing adds $60 on top of the DS-82 or DS-11 fee. A passport card, if you want one, is a separate fee. Pay by check or money order.

Submitting and Waiting

Mail DS-5504 and DS-82 with a trackable delivery service. You are sending your current passport and original legal documents in the same envelope, and losing either creates a real problem.

File DS-11 in person. Bring the unsigned form, proof of citizenship, your certified name-change document, photo ID, a new passport photo, and payment. Many acceptance facilities take appointments only, so check before you show up.

Routine processing currently runs four to six weeks from the day the State Department receives your application, and mailing adds up to two weeks on each end. Plan for six to eight weeks door-to-door.2U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Expedited service cuts handling to two to three weeks; mailing time still applies. For genuine emergencies, such as international travel within two weeks or a life-or-death situation abroad, you can request an appointment at a regional passport agency with proof of imminent travel.11U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast Track status through the State Department’s online portal once your application is received.

Traveling Before the New Passport Arrives

If your name has legally changed but the updated passport has not arrived, you can still travel internationally on the old one. US Customs and Border Protection allows citizens to travel using a passport in a prior name as long as they carry proof of the name change, such as the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.12U.S. Customs and Border Protection. US Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents Name Does Not Match

The problem is the ticket. Your airline reservation has to match the name in the passport you present at the gate. If you have already booked flights in your new name, a passport in your old name creates a mismatch. Safest sequence: if travel is booked in the old name, wait until you return to file. If travel is booked in the new name, do not fly until the updated passport is in hand.

Children Under 16

Every passport application for a child under 16 uses Form DS-11, name change or not. Both parents or legal guardians generally have to appear in person with the child, provide proof of citizenship and of the parent-child relationship, and submit the name-change document.13U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16 If the applying parent’s own name no longer matches the child’s birth certificate, that parent also needs to show proof bridging the difference. Children’s passports are valid for five years, not ten.

A Note on Gender Marker

Following Executive Order 14168 issued in January 2025, the State Department no longer issues passports with an “X” gender marker and issues passports only with an “M” or “F” marker matching biological sex at birth.14U.S. Department of State. Sex Marker in Passports If a gender marker update is part of what you need, check the State Department’s current guidance, because documentation requirements under this policy differ from what was in place before.