To change your name on an expired passport, you apply for a new passport in your new name and submit a certified legal document proving the change; there is no shorter correction or amendment process for an expired book. Which application form you use, and whether you mail it or hand it in, depends on when your old passport was issued and how old you were at the time.
Which Form You Use
You qualify for the mail-in renewal on Form DS-82 if your expired passport was issued within the last 15 years, you were at least 16 when it was issued, and the book is undamaged and in your possession. You also need a certified document linking your old name to your new one.1eCFR. 22 CFR 51.21 – Execution of Passport Application
If any of those conditions fails, you file Form DS-11 in person at a passport acceptance facility. The usual disqualifiers are a passport more than 15 years old, one issued before you turned 16, a damaged book, or no acceptable name change document.2USAGov. Renew an Adult Passport
Online renewal is not an option here. The State Department’s online system does not allow any change to personal information, so a name change forces you onto the mail-in or in-person track even if your passport would otherwise qualify.3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
The Name Change Document
You need a certified copy of the legal document that changed your name. A marriage certificate, a divorce decree that specifies your restored name, or a court order granting the change all qualify. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.4U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
The paperwork has to connect the name on your expired passport to the new name you want printed. If your name has changed more than once since that passport was issued, you need certified copies covering each step in the chain.
One practical note: the State Department returns your certified document in a separate mailing after your new passport ships, and the gap can run several weeks. If you need the original for other business in the meantime, order an extra certified copy from the issuing court or vital records office before you send anything.4U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
Photo and Expired Passport
You also need a new passport photo, 2 by 2 inches, taken within the last six months, on a plain white or off-white background. Face the camera with a neutral expression, both eyes open and visible, mouth closed.5U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
Include the expired passport itself in the application. The processing center cancels it and returns it to you separately after the new one is issued.
What It Costs
Both paths charge a $130 application fee for an adult passport book. The in-person DS-11 route adds a $35 execution fee paid to the acceptance facility, bringing that total to $165. Expedited service is another $60 on top.6U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
For a DS-82 mailed in, pay by personal check or money order made out to the U.S. Department of State, with your full name and date of birth on the front. No cash.7U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail For a DS-11, the $130 application fee goes to the Department of State and the $35 execution fee goes to the facility as a separate payment; check with the facility ahead of your appointment on what it accepts.
Sending in a DS-82
Put your completed DS-82, certified name change document, new photo, expired passport, and payment in one envelope, and ship it with a traceable service so you have a tracking number. The correct mailing address depends on your state and whether you paid for expedited service; the DS-82 instructions list them.
This is where applications get bounced. An unsigned form, an unsigned check, or a photo that misses the specifications sends the whole package back and costs weeks. Check every item before sealing the envelope.
Filing a DS-11 in Person
DS-11 applicants go to a passport acceptance facility, which can be a post office, public library, or county clerk’s office, among others. The State Department’s locator lists nearby options.8U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page Most locations require an appointment; USPS facilities take them through the Retail Customer Appointment Scheduler or a lobby kiosk.9United States Postal Service. Passport Appointments, Renewals, and Photo Services
Bring your DS-11 filled out but not signed, your certified name change document, your expired passport, your photo, a driver’s license or other valid ID, and your payment. You sign in front of the acceptance agent, who witnesses the signature and forwards the packet to the State Department.
How Long It Takes
As of early 2026, routine processing runs four to six weeks and expedited runs two to three weeks. Neither figure includes mailing time, which can add up to two weeks on each side.10U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast Realistically, plan on six to eight weeks door to door for routine service and four to five for expedited.
Once the application is in the system, you can follow it at passportstatus.state.gov. Status usually appears about two weeks after you send the package.
The Gender Marker Question on the Form
The same application asks you to select a sex marker. Under Executive Order 14168, issued January 20, 2025, the State Department no longer issues passports with an “X” marker; applicants select “M” or “F,” and the selected marker must match biological sex at birth.11U.S. Department of State. Sex Marker in Passports
If You Have To Travel Soon
For a life-or-death emergency involving an immediate family member abroad and international travel within 14 calendar days, you can request an appointment at a regional passport agency. You’ll need proof of the travel plans and documentation of the emergency, such as a death certificate or a letter on hospital letterhead from a treating physician. Immediate family here means a parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent.12U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
For urgent but non-emergency travel inside 14 days, or a foreign visa needed within 28 days, you can also book a passport agency appointment. Slots are limited and go fast. A name change adds no extra steps to the emergency or urgent process beyond the same certified document you would submit in a normal application.