How to File Form DS-86 for Non-Receipt of a Passport

Form DS-86 is the statement you send to the U.S. Department of State when a passport you applied for was mailed but never reached you. Filing it cancels the missing document and triggers a free replacement, but you have only 120 days from the passport’s issue date to submit it. Miss that window and you reapply from scratch and pay the full fees again.¹

Confirm the Passport Was Actually Mailed

Before filing anything, check your application status at passportstatus.state.gov using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. You want to see “Passport Mailed,” which means the document left the processing facility and a tracking number was sent to the email on your application.²

If the status reads “In Process” or “Approved,” the passport hasn’t shipped and the DS-86 doesn’t apply yet. If it reads “Additional Information Needed,” the Department has requested more details from you and the application is on hold until you respond.²

When You Can File and How Long You Have

The form itself recommends waiting at least 14 days from the issue date before submitting, so the mail system has time to deliver. If nothing has arrived after two weeks and any tracking number shows no movement, file.¹

The hard cutoff is 120 days from the issue date. File inside that window and the replacement is free. File outside it and you start over with Form DS-11 and pay again. No published waiver exists, so treat the deadline as absolute.¹ For an adult passport book, reapplying costs $130 in application fees plus a $35 execution fee at the acceptance facility.³

Filling Out the Form

Download DS-86 from eforms.state.gov. It runs one page, and the details you enter must match your original application exactly. You’ll need to provide:

Your full name, date of birth, and Social Security number as they appeared on the original application
The document type you did not receive: passport book, passport card, or both
The mailing address listed on your original application

Sign the form. Your signature certifies under penalty of perjury that you did not receive the passport and that everything on the form is true.¹ A false statement made to obtain a passport falls under 18 U.S.C. § 1542, which carries up to 10 years in prison for a first offense.⁴

Include a clear photocopy of the front and back of a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID. Do not send originals.¹

Where to Send It

There is no online filing option. You mail the signed form and ID copy to the specific passport agency or center that processed your original application.¹ If you don’t know which office that was, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. Representatives take calls Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern (closed federal holidays).⁵ NPIC can also tell you whether an address change is possible if you’ve moved since applying.

What Happens After the Form Is Filed

Once the Department receives your DS-86, the unreceived passport is entered into the Consular Lost and Stolen Passport System and permanently cancelled. It cannot be used for travel even if it later shows up in your mailbox.¹

A replacement is then issued at no charge. Routine processing currently runs four to six weeks; expedited processing runs two to three weeks.⁶ Expedited service normally adds $60, and 1–3 day delivery of a passport book to a U.S. address costs $22.05.³ Whether those fees apply to a DS-86 replacement isn’t spelled out on the form, so call NPIC to confirm before paying if you need faster turnaround.

If the Missing Passport Arrives Later

Sometimes the original passport turns up after you’ve filed. It has already been cancelled and cannot be used for travel. Call NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 as soon as it arrives and they’ll walk you through returning it to the Department of State.⁷ Federal regulations also prohibit holding more than one valid passport of the same type, so keeping a cancelled document in circulation is not an option.⁸ Border systems will flag a cancelled passport as invalid if you try to use it.

1
U.S. Department of State. Form DS-86 – Statement of Non-Receipt of a U.S. Passport
2
U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status
3
U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1542 – False Statement in Application and Use of Passport
5
U.S. Department of State. Contact U.S. Passports
6
U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
7
U.S. Department of State. Statement of Non-Receipt of a U.S. Passport
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eCFR. 22 CFR 51.2 – Passport Issued to Nationals Only