What Documents Do You Need to Renew Your Green Card?

To renew your green card, the documents you need are a completed Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card), a clear copy of the front and back of your current or expired card, payment for the filing fee, and any records that document changes to your name or personal information since your last card was issued.¹ Everything else depends on your situation.

Start gathering these materials once your card is within six months of expiring. Federal law requires every permanent resident age 18 and older to carry valid proof of status at all times, so a lapsed card can create problems at work, at the airport, and with law enforcement.²

The Core Checklist for a Standard Renewal

For a routine renewal of a 10-year card that is expiring or has already expired, the paperwork is short. You need:

Form I-90, filed either through a USCIS online account or by mail on paper.
A clear photocopy of the front and back of your current green card. An expired card still works here, since it establishes your existing permanent resident status.³
Payment for the filing fee (see the fee section below).

To fill out the form itself, have on hand your Alien Registration Number (the “A-number” printed on the front of your card and on prior DHS correspondence), your USCIS Online Account Number if you have one from a previous filing, your current mailing and residential addresses, and your Social Security number if one was issued to you.⁴ Check every entry against your existing card and official records before submitting. Small mismatches in names, dates, or A-numbers can stall the case.

If Your Card Is Lost, Stolen, or Damaged

When you cannot produce a copy of your green card, USCIS will accept a substitute government-issued photo ID that clearly shows your full name, date of birth, and a recognizable photograph. Acceptable substitutes include:

A valid passport from your country of nationality
A U.S. state driver’s license or state-issued ID
A U.S. military identification card

If your card was lost or stolen, be ready to explain what happened. USCIS may ask for additional evidence of your residency history to verify your identity when no copy of the card is available. If the card is damaged rather than missing, include whatever remains of the physical card with your application so USCIS can see its condition.

Extra Documents for Special Situations

Name Change

If your legal name has changed since your last card was issued, include the official document that authorized the change. That is usually a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, or a court order granting a formal name change. The document has to create a clear paper trail between the name USCIS has on file and the name on your application.

Turning 14

Children who received a green card before their 14th birthday need to file for a new card once they reach 14, even if the current card has not expired. The one exception: if that card is already set to expire before the child’s 16th birthday, you can wait and renew at expiration.³

Commuter Residents

Permanent residents who live in Canada or Mexico and commute into the U.S. for work must submit additional evidence with Form I-90: proof of current U.S. employment, such as recent pay stubs or a letter from the employer on company letterhead. Because USCIS cannot mail a green card outside the country, commuters also have to designate a U.S. port of entry on the form where they will pick up the new card.⁵

Card Never Arrived in the Mail

If USCIS mailed your card and it never reached you, you will need to show that the mailing address on file at the time of delivery was correct.

Documents for Paying the Fee

The filing fee for Form I-90 is $415 online and $465 by mail. USCIS previously charged a separate $85 biometrics fee, but that cost is now folded into the filing fee. Confirm the current amount on the USCIS fee schedule at uscis.gov/g-1055 before you file.

For paper filings, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, business checks, or money orders from most applicants. You pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, or authorize a direct bank withdrawal using Form G-1650.¹

If the fee is a genuine hardship, you can request a full waiver by filing Form I-912 alongside your I-90. USCIS grants a waiver when any one of three conditions is met: you or a household member currently receives a means-tested public benefit, your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or you are facing extreme financial hardship from extraordinary expenses.⁶ Requesting a waiver forces you to file on paper; the online system will not accept a waiver request. Households earning between 150 and 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines can instead request a reduced fee using Form I-942.⁷

A Word of Caution: Conditional Green Cards Use a Different Form

If you got your green card through marriage and had been married less than two years at the time, your card is valid for only two years and your status is conditional. Form I-90 will not renew it, and filing the wrong form wastes both your money and the ticking deadline. Instead, file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, during the 90-day window immediately before your conditional card expires.⁸ Immigrant investors with conditional status use Form I-829 on the same principle. Missing the deadline can cost you your permanent resident status entirely.⁹

What You Get Back, and What to Bring Next

After USCIS receives your application, it issues Form I-797C, Notice of Action, as your receipt.¹⁰ Hold onto it. As of September 2024, the I-797C for a Form I-90 renewal automatically extends the validity of your green card for 36 months past the expiration date printed on the card. Carried together, the receipt notice and your expired card serve as proof of both your continued permanent resident status and your authorization to work.¹¹

You will also get a notice scheduling a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center. Bring two things to that appointment:

Your biometrics appointment notice (Form I-797C). If USCIS sent more than one notice, bring them all.
A valid photo ID: your green card (even if expired), a passport, or a driver’s license.¹²

Once approved, your new card is mailed to the residential address on file, so keep that address current with USCIS throughout the process.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S.C. 1304 – Forms for Registration and Fingerprinting
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replace Your Green Card
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Commuter Cards
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Request for Reduced Fee
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Conditional Permanent Residence
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment