What to Do If You Lost Your Passport: Report, Replace, Costs

If you have lost your passport, do two things in order: report it to the State Department so the document is canceled, then apply in person for a replacement using Form DS-11. Routine replacements take four to six weeks, expedited service runs two to three weeks for an extra $60, and if you are overseas the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate can issue an emergency passport to get you home.

Report the Loss First

The moment you know your passport is gone, report it. Once reported, the document is canceled in government databases and cannot be used again, even if it turns up later. Trying to travel on a passport you already reported lost can get you detained at a border or denied entry.¹

You have three ways to report the loss:

Online at pptform.state.gov. This is the fastest option. Your passport is canceled within one business day and you get a confirmation email.
By mail, using Form DS-64 with a photocopy of a government-issued photo ID sent to the address on the form. Cancellation can take several weeks this way.
In person, as part of your DS-11 replacement application at an acceptance facility. The cancellation may not process for several weeks, so if you want the old passport killed immediately, file online first.

Reporting only cancels the old passport. It does not start the replacement. You still have to apply.¹

If your passport was stolen, file a police report. The State Department asks for a copy when you apply for a replacement, and having one on file strengthens your application.¹

One caution before you file: cancellation is permanent. There is no process for undoing it. If you merely misplaced the passport at home and have time to search thoroughly, search first.¹

Apply in Person for a Replacement

A lost passport cannot be renewed by mail. You are treated as a first-time applicant, which means Form DS-11, an in-person visit to an acceptance facility, and supporting documents.¹ Acceptance facilities are typically post offices, public libraries, and clerks of court offices. Find one at iafdb.travel.state.gov.²

Bring:

Proof of U.S. citizenship. One original document: a U.S. birth certificate showing your full name, date and place of birth, parents’ names, and the registrar’s signature and seal; a Certificate of Naturalization; a Certificate of Citizenship; or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.³
Proof of identity. A valid driver’s license, government employee ID, U.S. military ID, or expired U.S. passport, plus a black-and-white photocopy of the front and back on standard white paper.³
A 2-by-2-inch color passport photo taken within the last six months. Face the camera, neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed, no glasses. If a medical condition prevents removing eyeglasses, include a signed doctor’s note.⁴
Form DS-11, completed but not signed. The application asks for your Social Security number, your parents’ names, and the circumstances of the loss if you did not file a separate DS-64. Vague answers about the loss can stall the application, so use additional sheets if you need them.⁵

Do not sign DS-11 before your appointment. The acceptance agent must watch you sign and will administer an oath. A pre-signed form usually means starting over with a fresh one.⁵ After submission, track your case at passportstatus.state.gov.

What It Costs

Replacing a lost adult passport book runs $165 total: a $130 application fee to the Department of State and a $35 execution fee to the acceptance facility. These are two separate payments, and most facilities take checks or money orders.⁶

A passport card, which works for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean but not for international flights, costs $30 in application fees plus the $35 execution fee.⁶

Optional add-ons: $60 to expedite processing and $22.05 for one-to-three-day return delivery of the finished passport.⁷

How Long It Takes and How to Speed It Up

As of 2026, routine processing takes four to six weeks from the date the State Department receives the application. Expedited processing takes two to three weeks. Timeframes shift with seasonal demand, so check the current processing times before you apply.⁸

If you are traveling internationally within 14 days, or need a foreign visa within 28 days, you qualify for an appointment at a regional passport agency, which can issue a passport faster. Agencies operate by appointment only, and slots go quickly in peak season.⁹

If You Lost Your Passport Abroad

Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate immediately. You will need to appear in person to apply for a replacement, the same way you would at home.¹⁰

If you need to travel before a regular passport can be produced, the consular section can issue an emergency passport. These are valid for up to one year and are meant to get you back to the United States or to your next immediate destination. Some countries will not accept an emergency passport for entry, so confirm your onward itinerary with the consulate before you fly.¹¹

If a Child’s Passport Is Lost

For a child under 16, both parents or legal guardians must appear in person with the child at the acceptance facility. This is the requirement that catches families off guard, especially when parents are separated and have to coordinate schedules or consent.¹²

Bring documents proving the parental relationship: the child’s birth certificate, adoption decree, or custody order. Originals or certified copies only. Fees are lower: a minor’s passport book is $100 plus the $35 execution fee, and a child’s passport card is $15 plus $35.⁶

If the Old Passport Turns Up

Once reported lost or stolen, a passport is canceled for good. Finding it in a coat pocket a week later does not reactivate it. Trying to use a canceled passport at a border can lead to delays and denied entry. Destroy the old book or hand it in, and travel on the replacement.¹

1
U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page
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U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency
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U.S. Department of State. Lost or Stolen Passport Abroad
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U.S. Department of State. How to Replace a Limited-Validity Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16