How to Update Your Name and Personal Info on a U.S. Passport

To change the name on your U.S. passport, you mail in one of two forms with a certified copy of the legal document showing your new name: Form DS-5504 if your current passport was issued less than a year ago (no fee), or Form DS-82 if it’s older (standard renewal fee). A third form, DS-11, is used in person when you don’t qualify to renew by mail. The right choice depends on how old your passport is, how old you were when it was issued, and whether it’s still in your possession and undamaged.

Which Form You Use

Three federal forms cover every passport name update, and picking the wrong one is a common reason applications get returned.

DS-5504 — Free, Within One Year

Form DS-5504 applies when your name legally changed less than one year after your most recent passport was issued, and that passport is itself less than a year old.¹ Both conditions have to be true. You mail the form in and pay nothing, unless you add expedited processing.²

DS-82 — Renewal by Mail

If more than a year has passed since your passport was issued or since your name changed, you’ll use Form DS-82 to renew by mail. You qualify if your most recent passport was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were 16 or older, and hasn’t been reported lost or stolen.³ You include a certified copy of your name change document with the application.

One important limit: online renewal is not available for anyone changing a name or other personal information.⁴ The paper DS-82 is the only mail-in option.

DS-11 — In Person

You’ll use Form DS-11 and apply in person if your passport was issued more than 15 years ago, was issued before you turned 16, has been significantly damaged, or was reported lost or stolen. Acceptance facilities include post offices, clerks of court, and many public libraries.⁵ The State Department’s locator at iafdb.travel.state.gov lists nearby options.

The Legal Document Proving Your New Name

Whichever form you use, you must submit an original or certified copy of the legal document establishing your new name. Photocopies are not accepted. Depending on the reason for the change:

Marriage certificate, certified with an official seal from the issuing authority.
Certified copy of the final divorce decree showing your restored or changed name.
Certified copy of a court order listing both your former and new name.
Final adoption decree.¹

There’s a useful shortcut for recently married applicants. If your name changed through marriage and you present an ID already issued in your new name, such as a driver’s license, you don’t need to submit the marriage certificate separately.¹

If your document is in a foreign language, submit it with a certified English translation. The translator must sign a statement certifying fluency in both languages and the accuracy of the translation, including their name, address, and the date.

Match every detail across your forms and your legal documents. Providing false information on a passport application is a federal crime carrying up to 10 years in prison for a first offense, with higher penalties in specific circumstances.⁶

Photo and Fees

You need a new 2-by-2-inch passport photo taken within the last six months. The background must be white or off-white with no shadows. Keep a neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed, and remove eyeglasses of any kind.⁷ Many pharmacies and post offices take passport photos that meet the specifications.

Fees depend on the form and whether you want a passport book, a passport card, or both:

DS-5504: no application fee.²
DS-82 passport book: $130.
DS-82 passport card: $30.
DS-11 passport book: $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee, totaling $165.
DS-11 passport card: $30 plus a $35 acceptance fee.⁸

Two optional add-ons apply to any form. Expedited processing costs $60. One-to-three-day return delivery costs $22.05, and is only available for passport books mailed to U.S. addresses.⁸ Pay the State Department by check or money order. For DS-11, the $35 acceptance fee is paid separately to the facility.

Submitting Your Application

DS-5504 and DS-82 both go to the National Passport Processing Center. Because you’re sending your current passport and original legal documents, use a trackable service such as USPS Priority Mail. The exact mailing address depends on the form and whether you paid for expedited processing, so follow the address printed in your specific form’s instructions.

DS-11 applications must be handed in at an acceptance facility. Don’t sign the form ahead of time. An agent has to witness your signature and verify your identity.⁹ Bring the completed but unsigned form, your name change document, a valid photo ID, your photo, and payment for both fees. Most facilities require an appointment.

How Long It Takes and What You Get Back

Routine processing currently takes four to six weeks. Expedited processing takes two to three weeks.¹⁰ Times shift with the season. Late winter through summer is busiest, and the State Department suggests applying between October and December if you can.

You can track your application at passportstatus.state.gov using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Wait about two weeks after mailing before checking.

Your new passport and your supporting documents arrive in separate mailings. The passport book comes first through a trackable delivery service. Your citizenship evidence and legal documents follow up to four weeks later by regular First Class Mail.¹¹ There’s no way to speed up that second mailing, so if you need the marriage certificate or court order back sooner for another purpose, plan around it.

Traveling Before Your New Passport Arrives

U.S. citizens who have changed their name can still travel internationally on a passport showing the old name. Customs and Border Protection says to carry proof of your name change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order, alongside the old-name passport to show the connection between the two names.¹² Some foreign countries and airlines are less flexible about name mismatches between a passport and a ticket, so booking travel in the name that matches your current passport is safer at the gate.

When you mail in DS-5504 or DS-82, you send your old passport with the application, but it isn’t formally canceled until the new one is issued. That’s different from online renewal, which cancels the old passport at the moment you submit.⁴

Changing a Child’s Name on a Passport

A minor’s passport name change always uses Form DS-11 and always requires an in-person visit. Both parents or legal guardians must appear with the child at the acceptance facility and sign the application in front of an agent.¹³

When one parent can’t attend, they can sign Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) before a notary and send it along with a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary. The notarized statement expires three months after signing. A parent with sole legal custody can apply alone by submitting a court order, a birth certificate listing only one parent, a death certificate for the other parent, or similar documentation.¹³

For the name change itself, you’ll generally need a court order listing both the child’s old and new name, or an adoption decree. In some cases, if a parent legally changed their own name, a minor’s name can be updated using the parent’s name change documents, but only if both parents sign the application or one parent proves sole authority.¹⁴

1
U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1542 – False Statement in Application and Use of Passport
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U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
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United States Postal Service. Passport Appointments, Renewals, and Photo Services
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. US Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents Name Does Not Match
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes