To tell if your passport is expired, open the book to the photo page and look at the “Date of Expiration” printed in the lower right, below your personal details. The date is written day-month-year, so 20 AUG 2035 means August 20, 2035. If that date has passed, your passport is expired. If it hasn’t passed but sits within six months of your travel dates, many countries will still treat it as unusable, so checking the date alone isn’t the whole answer.
Where the Expiration Date Appears
On a standard passport book, the biographical data page is the one with your photograph. The expiration date is in the lower-right corner of that page. Passports issued after 2021 use a rigid polycarbonate data card instead of a paper page, but the date sits in the same spot.
A passport card, the wallet-sized alternative, prints its expiration date on the face of the card. Card and book share the same validity period, so the timelines are identical.
How Long a U.S. Passport Is Valid
If you were 16 or older when you applied, your passport is valid for ten years from the issue date.1Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport by Mail Passports issued to children under 16 are valid for five years and cannot be renewed at all; each new child passport is a fresh in-person application.
The issue date is printed just above the expiration date on the same data page, so you can confirm both at once.
The Six-Month Rule
A passport that hasn’t reached its printed expiration date can still get you turned away at a foreign border. Many countries require the passport to remain valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry or departure.2U.S. Department of State. Age 65+ Travelers Countries that enforce this include China, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, India, Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and most of Southeast Asia. A passport expiring in four months will not get you on a flight to Bangkok.
Not everywhere is that strict. Canada and Mexico generally accept a passport that’s valid for the length of your stay. The safest habit is to treat six months as the default and then check the specific destination’s requirements on the State Department’s country information pages before booking.
So the practical test is two-part: the printed date must be in the future, and it must be at least six months past your return date for most international trips.
Passport Card vs. Book
If you only have a passport card, the expiration date isn’t the only limit. The card works only for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries.3Travel.State.Gov. Get a Passport Card It cannot be used for international air travel at all. A card that hasn’t expired is still the wrong document for a flight to Europe.
Other Things That Can Invalidate a Passport
Even with years left on the clock, a passport can be unusable for reasons that have nothing to do with the date.
Physical Damage
Water stains, a significant tear, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages, or a hole punch all render a passport invalid.1Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport by Mail Ordinary wear, like the bend from a back pocket or slight fanning of the pages, does not count. Don’t attempt repairs with tape or glue; that creates unauthorized alterations and makes the problem worse. A damaged passport can’t be renewed by mail or online and has to be replaced in person using Form DS-11.
No Blank Visa Pages Left
Most countries require at least one blank visa page for entry and exit stamps, and some require two or more. A passport still years from expiration can be refused at the border if every page is stamped. Frequent travelers should count remaining blank pages the same way they check the date.
Name Changes
A legal name change means your passport no longer matches your identity documents. If the change happened within a year of issue and the passport itself is less than a year old, Form DS-5504 updates it by mail at no charge.4Travel.State.Gov. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error Past that window, you’ll need a standard renewal or a new application with certified proof of the name change, like a marriage certificate or court order.
Lost or Stolen
Once you report a passport lost or stolen using Form DS-64, it is permanently invalidated.5USAGov. Lost or Stolen Passports Even if it turns up later, you cannot use it. Replacement requires an in-person application using Form DS-11.6Travel.State.Gov. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
What to Do If It’s Expired or Close to It
The State Department offers three renewal paths, and the right one depends on your circumstances.
Online
Online renewal is available if your passport was issued for the standard ten-year period, is expiring within one year or expired less than five years ago, and you are 25 or older.7Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport Online You cannot be changing your name, and you must be in a U.S. state or territory when you submit. Only routine processing is available online, and you can only renew the same document type you already have.
By Mail
Mail renewal on Form DS-82 works if your most recent passport was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were 16 or older, is undamaged, and has never been reported lost or stolen.8U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State Form DS-82 – U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals Mail renewal accepts expedited processing and allows name changes with certified documentation.
In Person
You’ll need to apply in person on Form DS-11 if you’re a first-time applicant, the passport is for a child under 16, the passport was damaged or reported lost or stolen, or your last passport was issued more than 15 years ago or before you turned 16.9Travel.State.Gov. Apply for Your Adult Passport Acceptance facilities charge a $35 execution fee on top of the standard application fee.10Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
How Long Renewal Actually Takes
Routine processing runs four to six weeks, not counting mailing time. Expedited service, which costs an extra $60, cuts that to two to three weeks.11Travel.State.Gov. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast Adding 1–3 day return delivery for $22.05 saves a few more days on passport books.
Online renewal is convenient, not fast. Expedited service isn’t offered, and the State Department recommends waiting at least six weeks from submission before traveling.7Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport Online Processing times shift with seasonal demand, so check the State Department’s current estimates before committing to trip dates.
Put the date, the six-month cushion, the condition of the book, and the blank-page count together, and you have the real answer to whether your passport is expired for the trip you’re planning.