Passport Renewal Eligibility: Age, Condition, and Timing

You can renew your U.S. passport instead of applying from scratch if you meet all four passport renewal eligibility requirements: your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, it was issued within the last 15 years, it is undamaged, and you still have it in your possession. Miss any one of these and you have to apply in person using Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility, which costs more and takes longer.¹

Issued at Age 16 or Older

Passports issued to children under 16 are only valid for five years and use a different application procedure. If your most recent passport was a child passport, you cannot renew it, no matter how recently it was issued. You must apply in person with Form DS-11.¹

The age that matters is the age you were when the passport in your hand was issued, not your age now. An adult with an old minor passport still has to apply in person.

Issued Within the Last 15 Years

Look at the issue date printed on your passport’s data page, not the expiration date. The 15-year clock runs from issuance. A standard 10-year adult passport that expired five years ago is still within the window and can be renewed. One that expired six or more years ago falls outside the window and cannot.¹

If your passport is past the 15-year mark, you go through the in-person application process rather than renewal.

Undamaged

Normal wear from carrying a passport through airports is fine. What counts as disqualifying damage is more specific: water stains, significant tears, missing pages, unofficial markings on the data page, or hole punches. A passport with any of these has to be replaced through the in-person application process, not renewal.¹

If you are on the fence about whether your passport counts as damaged, err toward treating it as damaged. A submitted book that is rejected for damage will delay you far more than choosing the in-person route from the start.

In Your Possession

You have to submit your most recent passport with your renewal application. That means it has to be in your hands. If your passport was lost or stolen, you are not eligible to renew, and you must apply in person with Form DS-11 so the missing book can be reported and canceled through that process.¹

A passport you cannot physically produce is treated the same whether it is misplaced somewhere in your house or taken abroad. If you cannot mail it in, you cannot renew.

What About a Name Change?

A name change since your last passport was issued does not disqualify you from renewing. You still use the renewal path, but you include a certified copy of the legal document that shows the change: a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.²

Name changes cannot be processed through the online renewal system, so you have to renew by mail with Form DS-82 if your name has changed.³

Online or By Mail: An Extra Layer of Eligibility

Meeting the four basic requirements gets you into the renewal process. Whether you can complete that process online or must use the mail is a separate question with its own rules.

Online Renewal

The State Department’s online portal at opr.travel.state.gov is available only if all of the following are true:

Your passport is expiring within one year, or expired less than five years ago
You are 25 or older
You are not changing your name or sex marker
You are located in a U.S. state or territory when you submit
You are renewing the same document type you already hold (book for book, card for card)
You do not need expedited service and are not traveling within six weeks³

If any of those does not fit your situation, you are still eligible to renew, but you have to use the mail-in path. Once you submit online, do not use your old passport for international travel; it will be canceled remotely and flagged.³

Mail Renewal

Mail renewal uses Form DS-82 and is the required path if you are between 16 and 24, if you are changing your name, or if you want to add a passport card to an existing book (or vice versa). Otherwise it is an option for anyone who meets the four core requirements.¹

Mailing has to go through the U.S. Postal Service. The addresses on Form DS-82 are P.O. boxes, so FedEx, UPS, and DHL cannot deliver to them.¹

Renewing From Outside the United States

If you live abroad, eligibility to renew works differently. In most countries, all passport services have to be done in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate, even if you would qualify for mail renewal from within the U.S. A limited number of countries allow some services by mail; the nearest embassy or consulate website has the country-specific rules.⁴

Canada is the notable exception. If you meet the standard renewal requirements and need routine or expedited service, you can mail Form DS-82 directly to the United States rather than visiting an embassy.⁴

If You Do Not Qualify to Renew

Failing any one of the four requirements pushes you into the in-person application process with Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility. That means a first passport under 16, a passport more than 15 years old, a damaged passport, or a lost or stolen one.⁵

The in-person process has a few features that renewal does not. Do not sign Form DS-11 until the acceptance agent tells you to; the signature happens under oath at the counter. Acceptance facilities include post offices, public libraries, and some local government offices, and many require appointments. The base document fees are the same as renewal, but a $35 acceptance facility fee applies on top and often has to be paid separately from the State Department fee.⁵

If you are unsure which path applies to you, walk through the four requirements one at a time against the passport in front of you. If every answer is yes, you can renew. If any answer is no, plan on the in-person route and the extra fee that comes with it.

1
U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
2
U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
3
U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
4
U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Passport Outside the United States
5
U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport