To renew your passport by mail, complete Form DS-82, staple a compliant 2-by-2-inch photo to it, and send the form together with your current passport, a check or money order for $130, and any name-change document to the correct National Passport Processing Center P.O. Box using USPS. Routine processing currently runs four to six weeks from the day the center receives your package. Most adults who already hold a recent U.S. passport in good condition qualify for this mail-in process.
Whether You Qualify to Renew by Mail
Mail-in renewal on Form DS-82 is only available if your most recent passport meets every one of the following conditions:
- You still have it and can put it in the envelope. If it’s missing, you have to apply in person.
- It’s undamaged. Normal wear is fine; water damage, torn pages, or a detached cover are not.
- It was never reported lost or stolen. Once reported, it’s permanently canceled.
- It was issued within the last 15 years.
- You were 16 or older when it was issued. Child passports don’t qualify.
- It was issued in your current name, or you can include a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing the legal name change.
These rules come from federal regulation and the State Department’s renewal page.1eCFR. 22 CFR 51.21 – Execution of Passport Application2U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail Miss any of them and you’ll need to visit an acceptance facility (post office, library, or clerk’s office) and apply in person with Form DS-11 instead. Note that eligible adults now also have an online renewal option through the State Department’s website, but it’s routine service only, so if you want expedited handling you’ll still use the mail process described here.
Filling Out Form DS-82
Get the form through the State Department’s online form filler, which lets you type your information before printing, or download a blank copy and fill it out by hand in black ink. Print single-sided. The State Department rejects double-sided forms.2U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
The form asks for your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and details from your current passport. Federal tax law requires you to provide the SSN.3U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals If you’ve never been issued one, enter zeros and attach a signed statement saying so. Sign and date the form before it goes in the envelope.
Answer everything truthfully. A false statement on a passport application is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1542, punishable by up to 10 years in prison for a first or second offense and up to 15 years for subsequent offenses.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1542 – False Statement in Application and Use of Passport
The Photo
You need one recent color photo, and photo problems are among the most common reasons applications get delayed. The photo must be 2 by 2 inches, taken against a plain white or off-white background with no shadows or patterns. Your face should be centered with a neutral expression, both eyes open, and mouth closed. From the chin to the top of your hair should measure between 1 and 1⅜ inches within the frame.5U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
Attach it to the DS-82 with four staples placed vertically in the corners, close to the outer edges. Don’t bend it and don’t use a paperclip.2U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail Pharmacies and shipping stores typically charge $7 to $17 to shoot one, or you can do your own if you can match the specs exactly.
Fees and How to Pay
Pay by personal check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” No cash. One payment covers your entire application:
- Passport book: $130
- Passport card: $30
- Both book and card: $160
- Expedited processing: add $60
- 1-to-3-day return delivery: add $22.05
Fees are per application, not per document.2U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail A book with expedited processing and fast return delivery comes to $212.05 on a single check. Keep in mind that the passport card is only valid for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean; it can’t be used for international flights.6U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
If you currently hold one form and want to add the other, DS-82 lets you do that. You can add a card to a book renewal even if you’ve never had a card, and if you only have a card, you can get your first book through the same mail-in process by submitting the card.
Assembling and Mailing the Package
Put the following in a large flat envelope, such as a Priority Mail envelope or padded mailer:
- Your signed DS-82 with the photo stapled on
- Your most recent passport
- Your check or money order
- A certified name-change document, if applicable
Don’t fold the form. Don’t use UPS, FedEx, or DHL. The processing centers use P.O. Box addresses, which only USPS (and Canada Post, if you’re mailing from Canada) can deliver to.2U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail Use a trackable USPS service like Priority Mail so you have proof of delivery.
Where to Send It
The address depends on where you live and whether you’re paying for expedited service.
- Routine service, if you live in CA, FL, IL, MN, NY, or TX: National Passport Processing Center, Post Office Box 640155, Irving, TX 75064-0155.
- Routine service, all other states and Canada: National Passport Processing Center, Post Office Box 90155, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155.
- Expedited service, all locations: National Passport Processing Center, Post Office Box 90955, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955.
If you’re paying for expedited processing, write “EXPEDITE” on the outside of the envelope.2U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail Sending to the wrong P.O. Box won’t destroy your application, but it will delay it.
Tracking and Processing Times
After mailing, check status at passportstatus.state.gov. You’ll need your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you wrote an email address on the DS-82, you’ll also get status updates automatically.7U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status
Give it time before worrying. It can take up to two weeks from the day you mail the package before the system shows the application as “In Process.” That reflects transit and intake, not a problem with your paperwork.
Current processing windows, measured from when the center receives your package rather than when you dropped it in the mail:
- Routine: 4 to 6 weeks
- Expedited: 2 to 3 weeks
8U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports Paying $22.05 for 1-to-3-day return delivery shortens the shipping leg on the way back but doesn’t speed up the review itself.9U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast If your trip is close, combining expedited processing with fast return delivery is the safest mail-in option.
When processing is complete, the State Department mails your new passport and returns your old one with holes punched through it to invalidate it. An adult book is valid for ten years from the date of issue.
If You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
Mail is the wrong channel if an immediate family member abroad has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening medical condition and you need to travel within two weeks. In that situation you may qualify for an emergency appointment at a regional passport agency with documentation of the emergency and proof of upcoming international travel. Call 1-877-487-2778 during business hours or 202-647-4000 on evenings, weekends, and holidays.10U.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. Aunts, uncles, and cousins don’t qualify.
Tax Debt Can Block Your Renewal
One blocker most applicants don’t see coming: if you owe the IRS a large enough amount, the State Department can deny your passport application. Under 26 U.S.C. § 7345, the IRS certifies “seriously delinquent” tax debt to the State Department once the amount exceeds a threshold that started at $50,000 and is adjusted annually for inflation.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies For 2026 that threshold is approximately $66,000. The debt also has to be backed by a filed tax lien or an active levy, so simply owing a balance on a return doesn’t automatically trigger it.
If a certification is on file when your renewal arrives, the State Department sends you a letter and holds your application open for 90 days. Use that window to pay, set up an installment agreement, or make an offer in compromise with the IRS. If you don’t act, the application is denied and closed and you’d have to start over.12Internal Revenue Service. Revocation or Denial of Passport in Cases of Certain Unpaid Taxes The IRS notifies you of the certification by regular mail through a CP508C notice sent to your last known address, so if you’ve moved recently without updating the IRS, the first sign of trouble may be your passport renewal stalling.