To renew a passport at the post office, most adults mail in Form DS-82 by handing the completed application, their current passport, a photo, and a $130 check to a postal clerk. If your last passport was issued before you turned 16, was lost, stolen, or damaged, or is more than 15 years old, you can’t use the mail route and instead need an in-person appointment with Form DS-11 at a post office that acts as a passport acceptance facility. Routine processing runs four to six weeks.
Which Route You Take
The post office handles passport renewals two different ways, and which one applies to you is decided by federal regulation, not preference. You can use the mail-in DS-82 process if all three of these are true: your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, you’re submitting the application within 15 years of that issue date, and you can send that passport in with your application.1eCFR. 22 CFR 51.21 – Execution of Passport Application
The 15-year window runs from the issue date, not the expiration date. Because adult passports are valid for 10 years, you effectively have five years after expiration to renew by mail.
You lose the mail option and need to apply in person with Form DS-11 if any of the following apply:
- Your passport is damaged or mutilated.2U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services
- Your passport was lost or stolen.
- Your passport was issued before your 16th birthday.
- Your name has changed and you don’t have a certified document proving the change.3USAGov. Renew an Adult Passport
If your name did change but you have a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order to prove it, the mail option is still open. Just include that document with your application.4U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
One alternative worth knowing about before you head to the post office: the State Department also runs an online renewal for adults 25 and older whose passport is expiring within a year or expired less than five years ago, with no name or gender marker changes and at least six weeks before travel.5U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online Online renewals cancel your old passport the moment you submit, so if you need to travel while the renewal is pending, sticking with the mail route through the post office is the safer play.
What to Bring
Form DS-82 (for mail renewal) and Form DS-11 (for in-person application) are both available on the State Department’s website and usually in the lobby of a post office that handles passports. Fill out the form completely before you go. If you’re using DS-11, do not sign it — the acceptance agent has to witness the signature.
Along with the form, gather:
- Your most recent passport. For a damaged passport being replaced with DS-11, also include a signed statement explaining the damage.
- A passport photo, 2 x 2 inches, against a plain white or off-white background, neutral expression, no eyeglasses.6U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
- Name change documentation if your name differs from what’s on your last passport — the original or a certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.
Many post offices take passport photos for a separate fee, so you can handle everything at one stop. Drug stores and shipping stores also do them, but check the dimensions before you pay. An out-of-spec photo is one of the most common reasons applications come back rejected.
What It Costs
Current fees for an adult renewal:
- Passport book (DS-82): $130
- Passport card (DS-82): $30
- Both book and card (DS-82): $160
- Expedited processing: $60 on top of the application fee
- 1–3 day return delivery: $22.057U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
If you’re applying in person with Form DS-11, add a $35 execution fee paid directly to the post office for the clerk’s time verifying your documents and witnessing your signature.8U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees The execution fee is separate from the application fee. Post offices typically accept credit cards, debit cards, checks, or money orders for it.
The application fee itself has to be paid by personal check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” Write the applicant’s full name and date of birth on the front of the check. No cash, and the State Department does not accept credit cards for mail-in renewals.9U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
Most travelers should choose the book. A passport card is a wallet-sized document that works only for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries — it cannot be used for international air travel.10U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card Adding a card to a book renewal for $30 makes sense if you regularly drive across the Canadian or Mexican border.
Submitting the Application
Mail-In Renewal With DS-82
If you qualify for mail renewal, the post office is essentially a shipping counter. Put the completed DS-82, your current passport, your photo, any name-change document, and your check or money order into a sturdy padded envelope. Use a trackable service like Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express. Hand the package to a clerk rather than dropping it in a collection box.
In-Person Application With DS-11
For in-person applications, you’ll meet with a passport acceptance agent at a designated post office. Most locations require an appointment, which you can schedule through USPS at tools.usps.com/rcas.htm. The tool lets you pick a location, date, and time and shows which offices take passport photos.
At the appointment, the clerk reviews your identification, watches you sign Form DS-11, and collects the $35 execution fee. Arrive with your paperwork filled out and your photo in hand. The agent’s job is to verify and witness, not to help you complete the form. You’ll get a receipt with tracking information once the clerk accepts your materials.
How Long It Takes
As of early 2026, routine processing takes four to six weeks and expedited processing takes two to three weeks. Neither figure includes mailing time in either direction, which can add up to two weeks on each end.11U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast Paying the $22.05 for 1–3 day return delivery shortens the back end considerably.
Processing times shift with demand. Spring and early summer are peak, and waits can stretch past posted estimates. If your trip is fewer than ten weeks away, the $60 expedited fee is inexpensive insurance.
You can track your application through the State Department’s online status checker roughly two to three weeks after submission. Your old passport typically comes back in a separate mailing shortly after your new one arrives.
What the Post Office Can’t Do
Post offices cannot help if you need a passport within days. True emergency service comes from a regional passport agency, not a postal acceptance facility. If you’re traveling internationally within two weeks because an immediate family member abroad has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness, you may qualify for a life-or-death emergency appointment with documentation of the emergency and proof of upcoming travel.12U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency The State Department defines immediate family narrowly: parents, children, spouses, siblings, and grandparents. To schedule, call 1-877-487-2778 during business hours or 202-647-4000 outside them. The same number handles urgent but non-emergency travel within two weeks.
Renewing a Child’s Passport
Children under 16 cannot renew by mail, ever. Every child’s application requires an in-person visit, and both parents or legal guardians must appear with the child and show photo identification.13U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16 If one parent can’t be there, the absent parent must complete Form DS-3053 in front of a notary and include a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary. The notarized form is valid for 90 days. You’ll also need proof of the child’s citizenship, typically a U.S. birth certificate, and evidence of the parental relationship.
Tax Debt Can Block a Renewal
The IRS can ask the State Department to deny, revoke, or refuse to renew your passport if you owe a seriously delinquent federal tax debt exceeding $66,000.14Internal Revenue Service. Revocation or Denial of Passport in Cases of Certain Unpaid Taxes The threshold adjusts annually for inflation. The debt must be legally enforceable with a tax lien filed or a levy issued, and it doesn’t apply to debts you’re actively disputing or paying under an installment agreement.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies If this could apply to you, contact the IRS before you submit your renewal. Resolving the debt or entering a payment plan lifts the certification, but not quickly enough to save an application that’s already been rejected.