How to Replace a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passport

To replace a lost, stolen, or damaged passport, you file a new application in person at a passport acceptance facility using Form DS-11, along with proof of citizenship, photo ID, a passport photo, and the required fees. You cannot handle this online or by mail, because the State Department has to verify your identity from scratch.¹ Routine processing runs four to six weeks; expedited service takes two to three weeks, and faster options exist when travel is close.²

Report a Lost or Stolen Passport First

If the passport is missing, report it before you do anything else. Under federal regulations, a passport becomes invalid the moment the Department of State records the loss or theft.³ That invalidation is permanent. If the passport turns up later between the couch cushions, it still cannot be used.⁴ Think twice before reporting if you suspect the passport is only misplaced, because there is no undoing it.

The fastest way to report is through the State Department’s online form filler, which cancels the passport within one business day and sends a confirmation email.⁵ You can also call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 from within the United States and register the loss over the phone.⁶

Forms to Complete

A lost or stolen replacement takes two forms. Form DS-64 is your sworn statement describing how, where, and when the passport went missing; attach a photocopy of the missing passport if you have one, and be specific, because vague answers slow things down.⁶

Form DS-11 is the standard new-passport application. Fill it out at home, but do not sign it there. You sign in front of the acceptance agent at your appointment, who administers an oath and witnesses your signature.⁷ Both forms are available from the State Department’s website or through its online form filler.

Documents to Bring

Proof of U.S. citizenship: a certified birth certificate issued by a city, county, or state with a registrar’s seal, a naturalization certificate, or a consular report of birth abroad. A hospital birth certificate will not work.
Photo identification: a valid driver’s license, government-issued ID card, or military ID that shows your signature and a recognizable photo.
One color passport photo, 2 inches by 2 inches, taken within the last six months, with a plain white or off-white background and a neutral expression facing the camera.⁸

Glasses are not allowed in the photo. The only exception is a medical condition preventing removal, which requires a signed statement from your doctor.⁸ The photo must be printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.

Fees

You make two separate payments: one to the Department of State for processing and one to the acceptance facility for execution. Both are non-refundable.

Adult passport book (age 16 and older): $130 application fee plus $35 execution fee, totaling $165.⁹
Child passport book (under 16): $100 application fee plus $35 execution fee, totaling $135.⁹
Expedited processing: an additional $60 on the application fee.¹⁰
1-to-3-day return delivery of the finished passport book: $22.05.¹¹

The application fee typically goes to the State Department by check or money order made out to the U.S. Department of State. Many facilities accept credit or debit cards for the execution fee. Get the amounts right the first time, since incorrect payments can delay or reject the filing.¹⁰

Where to Apply and What Happens

Applications go through a passport acceptance facility. That includes participating post offices, county clerk offices, public libraries, and other local government offices. The State Department maintains a searchable locator at iafdb.travel.state.gov where you can search by ZIP code and filter for on-site photo services or handicap access.¹²

At the appointment, the agent verifies your identity, administers an oath, and watches you sign the DS-11. Everything is sealed and forwarded to a State Department processing center. You leave with a receipt, not a passport. Your original citizenship documents come back in a separate mailing after processing.

If the Passport Is Damaged Rather Than Missing

A damaged passport follows a slightly different path. You still apply in person on Form DS-11, but instead of filing Form DS-64, you submit the damaged passport itself with a signed statement explaining how the damage happened. You do not report a damaged passport as lost or stolen. The acceptance agent takes the damaged document and includes it with your application.

The State Department considers a passport unfit for use if pages are torn, the cover is detached, water damage obscures information, or the security features are compromised. If the passport is just worn from heavy travel and all data pages and security elements are still intact and legible, you may be able to renew it by mail instead.

Replacing a Child’s Passport

Passports for children under 16 carry extra requirements aimed at preventing parental abduction. Both parents or legal guardians must appear in person with the child at the acceptance facility.¹³ If one parent cannot attend, the absent parent signs a notarized Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) in front of a notary public and provides a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary.¹⁴ The notarized form is valid for 90 days from the date it is signed.

You can apply without the second parent’s consent if you have sole legal custody, are the only parent listed, or the other parent is deceased or unreachable. Supporting documents cover each situation:

Sole custody: a court order granting sole custody or sole authority to apply for the child’s passport.
Only parent listed: a certified birth certificate or adoption decree naming you as the only parent.
Deceased parent: a certified death certificate for the other parent.
Unable to locate the other parent: Form DS-5525 (Statement of Special Family Circumstances) explaining why the other parent cannot be reached.¹³

Children ages 16 and 17 need only one parent present and aware.

Urgent Travel and Emergencies

Travel Within 14 Days

If you are traveling internationally within 14 calendar days, or need a foreign visa within 28 calendar days, schedule an appointment at a regional passport agency. These agencies serve applicants by appointment only and can issue passports much faster than the mail-in route. Book through the State Department’s online appointment system and bring proof of travel plans, such as a flight itinerary or hotel reservation. If you already applied through a regular acceptance facility and your dates have changed, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 to request an expedited appointment.¹⁵

Life-or-Death Emergencies

If an immediate family member abroad is seriously ill, injured, or has died and you need to travel within days, the State Department can process a passport on an emergency basis. You will need documentation of the emergency, such as a death certificate, hospital statement, or letter from a mortuary, plus proof of imminent travel. Call 1-877-487-2778 during business hours or 202-647-4000 after hours, on weekends, and on federal holidays.¹¹

Losing a Passport Abroad

Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and schedule an in-person visit. Bring whatever you can: a passport photo, any form of identification, proof of citizenship if available, your travel itinerary, and a completed Form DS-11.¹⁶ If you do not have all of these, consular staff will still work with you. Describe how and where the passport was lost or stolen directly on the DS-11, and bring a copy of any local police report.

When there is not time for a full-validity passport, the consulate can issue an emergency limited-validity passport valid for up to one year, which you can exchange for a regular passport after returning home.¹⁶ Most embassies and consulates cannot issue passports on weekends or holidays, but after-hours duty officers handle life-or-death emergencies and situations requiring immediate travel. In most cases, a replacement can be issued the next business day. Victims of serious crimes or disasters may qualify for a free limited-validity emergency passport if paying the fee abroad is not possible.

Processing Times and Non-Receipt

Routine service currently runs four to six weeks, and expedited service two to three weeks, measured from when the processing center receives your application rather than the day you visit the facility.² Peak spring and summer travel season sometimes stretches those windows. You can check status through the State Department’s online tracking, which starts updating roughly two weeks after submission. The new passport ships by USPS Priority Mail at no extra charge, or by 1-to-3-day delivery if you paid the $22.05 upgrade. Citizenship documents ship separately.

If the replacement was issued but never arrived, file Form DS-86 (Statement of Non-Receipt of a U.S. Passport). Wait at least 14 days after the issue date before filing, unless you have immediate travel plans, and call 1-877-487-2778 first to confirm the issue date and check shipping tracking. You have 120 days from the issue date to report non-receipt. Miss that window and you reapply from scratch and pay the full fees again.¹⁷ Put that deadline on your calendar the day you apply.

1
U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
2
U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
3
eCFR. 22 CFR 51.4 – Validity of Passports
4
USAGov. Lost or Stolen Passports
5
U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
6
U.S. Department of State. Statement Regarding a Valid Lost or Stolen U.S. Passport Book and/or Card
7
U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
8
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
9
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
10
U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
11
U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
12
U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility Search
13
U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
14
U.S. Department of State. Statement of Consent – U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child
15
U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
16
U.S. Department of State. Lost or Stolen Passport Abroad
17
U.S. Department of State. Statement of Non-Receipt of a U.S. Passport