Choosing between a new passport application and a renewal comes down to a short test. You can renew if you still have your most recent passport in hand, it isn’t damaged, it was never reported lost or stolen, it was issued when you were 16 or older, and it’s been less than 15 years since it was issued. Meet all of those, and you use Form DS-82 by mail or online. Miss even one, and you’re treated as a new applicant: Form DS-11, in person, with citizenship evidence and an extra fee.
The Renewal Test
Renewal is the shorter, cheaper path, and eligibility is all-or-nothing. Every one of these has to be true about your most recent passport:1U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Renewal Application For Eligible Individuals
- You physically have it and can submit it with your application.
- It’s undamaged. Normal wear is fine; water damage, torn pages, or a damaged cover is not.
- It was never reported lost or stolen. Once flagged, a passport is permanently canceled.
- It was issued when you were 16 or older.
- It was issued less than 15 years ago, even if it expired only recently.
- Your current name matches the passport, or you can document the change with a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.
If any answer is no, the renewal process is closed to you.
When You Have to Apply as New
Form DS-11 and an in-person visit to a passport acceptance facility are required if you fall into any of these categories:2U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
- You’ve never held a U.S. passport.
- Your last passport was lost, stolen, or damaged.
- Your last passport was issued before you turned 16.
- Your last passport was issued more than 15 years ago.
The in-person step exists so an acceptance agent can witness your signature and verify your identity. Acceptance facilities are located at post offices, county clerk offices, and some libraries.
How the Two Paths Differ in Practice
The form, the process, and the cost all shift with your path.
If you qualify to renew, you send Form DS-82, your current passport, a new photo, any name-change document, and payment to the address printed on the form. You must use USPS; UPS, FedEx, DHL, and other carriers cannot deliver to the P.O. Box addresses listed.3U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error The State Department also offers online renewal for routine (non-expedited) service at opr.travel.state.gov, where you upload a digital photo and pay electronically. Eligibility for online renewal mirrors the mail-in criteria, and it isn’t available if you need expedited processing.4U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
If you’re applying new, you gather more documents and appear in person. You’ll need proof of U.S. citizenship (a certified birth certificate showing your full name, date and place of birth, parents’ names, the registrar’s signature, and the issuing office’s seal, or a Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad), a photocopy of that evidence on white 8.5″ × 11″ paper, a valid photo ID plus a photocopy, a passport photo, and payment for both the application fee and the execution fee. Electronic and mobile birth certificates aren’t accepted.5U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
The fee difference comes from the $35 execution fee charged by the acceptance facility, which renewal applicants skip entirely:6U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
- New adult passport book (DS-11): $130 + $35 = $165
- New adult passport card (DS-11): $30 + $35 = $65
- New adult book and card together (DS-11): $160 + $35 = $195
- Renewal adult passport book (DS-82): $130
- Renewal adult passport card (DS-82): $30
- Renewal adult book and card together (DS-82): $160
The application fee is paid by check or money order to “U.S. Department of State.” The execution fee is paid separately to the acceptance facility, and accepted payment methods vary. Online renewals accept electronic payment.
Lost or Stolen Passports
A lost or stolen passport has an extra step before you reapply. File Form DS-64 to report the loss. The State Department urges you to do this immediately rather than waiting until you apply for a replacement, because the report cancels the old passport and protects you from identity theft.7U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen After reporting, you apply in person with DS-11 like any first-time applicant, with full citizenship evidence, photo ID, a new photo, and the full application fee including the execution fee. There’s no shortcut, no matter how recently the lost passport was issued.
Children Never Renew
Passports issued to children under 16 are valid for five years and cannot be renewed. Each new child passport requires DS-11 and an in-person appearance by the child with both parents or guardians.8U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
If one parent can’t attend, the absent parent signs a notarized Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053) and provides a photocopy of their ID. A parent with sole custody can submit a court order or a birth certificate listing only one parent. If the other parent can’t be located, Form DS-5525 (Statement of Special Family Circumstances) explains the situation. These documents must be submitted within 90 days of being notarized.
This rule is also why adults whose last passport was issued before they turned 16 can’t renew. The system treats that expired child passport as a separate category, so the renewal path isn’t available even if it’s otherwise recent.
Situations That Block Either Path
Two federal laws can stop your application whether you’re renewing or applying new.
Seriously delinquent federal tax debt above a statutory threshold (a base of $50,000, adjusted annually for inflation) triggers IRS certification to the State Department. Once certified, the department can deny your application, revoke your current passport, or limit it. The debt must be legally enforceable with a tax lien filed or a levy issued. If you’re on an installment agreement or have a pending due-process hearing, the debt doesn’t count as seriously delinquent for this purpose.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies
Federal and state felony drug convictions also block a passport if you used a passport or crossed an international border while committing the offense. The restriction runs while you’re imprisoned or on supervised release, and the Secretary of State can grant exceptions for emergencies or humanitarian reasons.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers
Neither situation is common for the average applicant, but if either applies to you, resolve it before you appear at an acceptance facility or mail off your renewal.