To mail a U.S. passport renewal, use a large flat envelope of at least 9″ × 12″ so your application, photo, old passport, and payment all fit flat without folding. The most common choice is the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope at 12½” × 9½”, which costs $11.95, includes tracking, and holds everything comfortably. A standard letter-sized envelope is too small and forces you to fold documents the State Department wants sent flat.
Best Envelope Options
Two envelopes work well for this. The USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope is sturdy, includes tracking and insurance, and costs $11.95 at any post office. A Tyvek envelope in a similar 9″ × 12″ size resists tearing and water, which is worth thinking about when the contents include an irreplaceable government document. Either one is large enough that the DS-82 form, a passport booklet, a 2″ × 2″ photo, and a check can lie flat inside.
You can technically send a renewal by First-Class Mail in a large envelope, which starts at $1.63 for the first ounce and runs somewhere around $2 to $4 once you account for the weight of a passport and paperwork.1Postal Explorer. Notice 123 But First-Class Mail doesn’t include tracking, and the State Department recommends a trackable shipping method. Saving a couple of dollars isn’t worth losing sight of an envelope carrying your passport.
If you want the fastest option with a delivery guarantee, the Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope costs $33.25 and delivers in one to two business days. Regular Priority Mail typically takes two to three business days.1Postal Explorer. Notice 123
What Has to Fit Inside
The envelope size exists to hold four items flat:
- Form DS-82, the passport renewal application, printed single-sided on 8½” × 11″ paper, signed and dated after printing.
- Your most recent passport book or card, undamaged.
- One 2″ × 2″ color passport photo taken within the last six months, on a white or off-white background.2U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
- A personal check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State,” with the applicant’s full name and date of birth written on the front. No cash.3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
If your name has changed since your last passport was issued, add a certified copy of the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court-ordered name change document.3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail That paperwork is another reason not to try to squeeze everything into a smaller envelope.
The renewal fee is $130 for a passport book, $30 for a card, or $160 for both. Expedited processing adds a $60 fee.4U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
How to Pack It
Staple your photo to the DS-82 using four staples, one in each corner, placed as close to the outer edges of the photo as possible. Do not bend the photo.3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail Slipping a piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard behind the application helps keep the photo from creasing in transit. The State Department doesn’t require it, but bad photos are the single most common reason applications get held up, so it’s cheap insurance.
Put the DS-82 (with photo attached), your current passport, your check or money order, and any name-change documents into the envelope. Don’t paper-clip anything to the passport booklet. Write your full return address in the upper left corner. If you’re paying for expedited processing, write “EXPEDITE” clearly on the outside of the envelope so the processing center routes it correctly.5U.S. Department of State. How to Get my U.S. Passport Fast
Before you seal it, run one last check: signed form, photo stapled on, old passport included, check made out to “U.S. Department of State” with your name and date of birth on it, and name-change documents if you need them.
Where to Send It
The address depends on the service you’re paying for and, for routine service, where you live.
Routine Service
If you live in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, or Texas, send it to:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 640155
Irving, TX 75064-0155
If you live in any other state or in Canada:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90155
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155
Expedited Service
All expedited applications go to the same address regardless of state:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955
Who Can Renew by Mail
You can use Form DS-82 and mail your renewal if your most recent passport is undamaged beyond normal wear, was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were 16 or older, and was issued in your current name or you can document a legal name change. If any of those don’t apply, you need to apply in person on Form DS-11, and none of the envelope guidance above applies to your case.3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
You May Not Need an Envelope at All
Before buying anything, check whether you qualify to renew online. The State Department now lets eligible citizens renew through its website with no mailing involved. You keep your old passport, and the State Department cancels it electronically after you submit.6U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
Online renewal is available if all of these are true:
- Your most recent passport was valid for 10 years (issued when you were 16 or older).
- It expires within one year or expired less than five years ago.
- You are 25 or older.
- You are not changing your name or other personal information.
- You are not traveling for at least six weeks from submission, since only routine processing is available online.
- You have the passport with you, it is undamaged, and you have not reported it lost or stolen.
- You are in a U.S. state or territory when you submit.
The fees are the same as mail renewal, and you upload a digital photo instead of printing one.4U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees If you don’t meet every one of those conditions, mail is your route, and the 12½” × 9½” Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope is the straightforward pick.