Passport Card to Passport Book: DS-82, Fees, and Mailing Steps

To handle a passport card to passport book upgrade, mail Form DS-82 with your current card, one passport photo, and a $130 check or money order to the National Passport Processing Center. Routine service runs four to six weeks as of 2026.¹ You need the book because the card is only valid for land and sea entry from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and parts of the Caribbean; any international air travel requires the full book.²

Online Renewal Will Not Work Here

The State Department’s online renewal system only accepts applications for the same type of document you already hold. Card holders who want a book cannot use it. The agency requires this switch to go through the mail on Form DS-82.³

Who Qualifies to Use Form DS-82

Your existing passport card has to meet every one of these conditions to use the mail-in path:⁴

Issued when you were 16 or older.
Issued within the last 15 years.
Undamaged beyond normal wear.
Never reported lost or stolen. Once reported missing, a passport document is permanently cancelled.
In your current legal name, or accompanied by a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing the name change.

If any of those fail, the upgrade has to be done in person on Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility, which adds a $35 execution fee.¹

Should You Ask for a Replacement Card Too

Your old card gets sent in with the application and comes back cancelled. If you want to keep a valid card for land and sea crossings, request the book and card combination on the same DS-82. The combined fee is $160 instead of $130 for the book alone.¹

Filling Out DS-82

Download Form DS-82 from the State Department and complete it in full.⁵ Copy the document number and issuance date from your card exactly. A mismatch delays processing because the center cannot pull your existing record.

The form requires your Social Security number under 26 U.S.C. § 6039E. Leaving it off or providing an incorrect number can result in a $500 penalty per application.⁶ If you have never had an SSN, enter zeros and attach a signed statement saying so.⁵

Photo Requirements

You need one color photo, 2 by 2 inches, on a plain white or off-white background. Face the camera with a neutral expression or slight smile, both eyes open, mouth closed. Glasses of any kind must come off, including tinted lenses. If you cannot remove prescription glasses for medical reasons, include a signed note from your doctor. Head coverings are only allowed for daily religious or medical use.⁷

What Goes in the Envelope

Assemble a padded envelope with the signed and dated DS-82, your current passport card, one photo, your check or money order, and any name change certificate. A trackable mailing service is worth the small extra cost because you are sending your only passport document.

Where to Mail It

The address depends on service level and, for routine service, your state:⁴

Routine, if you live in CA, FL, IL, MN, NY, or TX: National Passport Processing Center, PO Box 640155, Irving, TX 75064-0155.
Routine, all other states and Canada: National Passport Processing Center, PO Box 90155, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155.
Expedited: National Passport Processing Center, PO Box 90955, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955. Write “EXPEDITE” on the outside.

Fees and How to Pay

Payment must be a check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” Cash and credit cards are not accepted for mail-in renewals.⁸

Passport book only: $130.
Passport book and card together: $160.
Expedited processing: add $60.
1-3 day return delivery: add $22.05.

Application fees are non-refundable by law even if the passport is denied. The exception: if you paid the $60 expedite fee and did not actually get faster processing, you can request that portion back.¹

Processing Time and Tracking

Routine service is four to six weeks from the day the center receives your package. Expedited is two to three weeks.⁹ Neither window includes mailing time in either direction, so add roughly a week on each end. Check status at passportstatus.state.gov, and if you listed an email address on the form the system will send updates automatically.¹⁰

How Your Documents Come Back

The new book and the old card ship separately. The card can arrive up to four weeks after the book.⁴ The returned card is cancelled and no longer valid for travel. If you have a land or sea trip coming up, plan around that gap or pay the extra $30 for the book and card combo so you get a fresh card back.

If Your Trip Is Coming Up Fast

Travelers leaving the country within 14 calendar days, or who need a foreign visa within 28 days, can book an in-person appointment at a regional passport agency. Call 1-877-487-2778, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, to schedule. Life-or-death emergencies involving a critically ill or deceased immediate family member abroad qualify for the fastest handling and require documentation of the emergency along with proof of travel within three business days.¹¹

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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals
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eCFR. 26 CFR 301.6039E-1 – Information Reporting by Passport Applicants
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status
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U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency