What to Do With an Expired U.S. Passport: Renewal, Fees, and Timing

If your U.S. passport has expired, the answer is almost always the same: renew it, and keep the old book until the new one arrives. Knowing what to do with an expired U.S. passport comes down to three questions — how you’re eligible to renew, how fast you need the new one, and whether the old book still has any use in the meantime. Most adults can renew online or by mail without setting foot in a government office, and the expired passport itself is part of the paperwork.

What an Expired Passport Can and Can’t Do

The moment it expires, your passport stops working for international travel. No airline will board you, and no country will admit you on it. Domestically, the picture is softer. TSA currently accepts an expired U.S. passport as ID at airport security checkpoints for up to two years after expiration.¹

An expired passport also still counts as proof of U.S. citizenship in some settings. For Medicaid eligibility, federal regulations accept a U.S. passport as evidence of citizenship regardless of expiration, provided it was issued without limitation.² It does not work for employment verification on Form I-9, though; List A documents must be unexpired.³

One more reason not to toss it: if the expired book contains a valid visa from another country, you can keep using that visa after you renew. Just carry the old and new passports together when you travel.⁴

Renewing Online

The State Department’s online renewal is the fastest paperless option, but it has a specific eligibility list. You can renew online only if all of the following are true:⁵

You are 25 or older.
Your current or most recent passport was valid for 10 years.
That passport is expiring within one year or has been expired for less than five years.
You are not changing your name, gender, or other personal information.
You have the passport, it is undamaged, and you haven’t reported it lost or stolen.
You are in a U.S. state or territory when you submit.
You don’t need to travel for at least six weeks, since only routine processing is offered online.

You upload a digital photo and pay electronically. The fee is the same as by mail: $130 for a passport book, $30 for a passport card, or $160 for both.⁶ One useful quirk of the online route: you keep your old passport instead of mailing it in.⁴

Renewing by Mail

If you can’t use the online system but your passport was issued within the last 15 years, you were at least 16 when it was issued, and you have the undamaged book in hand, you can renew by mail with Form DS-82. Name changes since the passport was issued need to be documented with a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.⁷

Your envelope needs to contain the completed and signed Form DS-82, your most recent passport, one 2×2-inch color passport photo on a white or off-white background taken within the last six months and with no glasses,⁸ any name-change document if applicable, and a check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.”⁶ The State Department cancels your old passport and returns it separately, which can take up to four weeks after your new passport arrives.⁴

Use USPS with tracking. Private carriers like FedEx, UPS, and DHL cannot deliver to the P.O. box addresses used by the National Passport Processing Center. The correct mailing address depends on where you live and whether you want routine or expedited service, and the current list is on the State Department’s site.⁷

When You Have to Apply In Person

Some situations pull you out of the mail and online tracks entirely. You must apply in person with Form DS-11 at a passport acceptance facility, such as a post office or county clerk’s office, if your most recent passport was issued more than 15 years ago, was issued when you were under 16, is significantly damaged, or was reported lost or stolen.⁷

Bring evidence of U.S. citizenship (a birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or your expired passport itself), a valid government-issued photo ID, a passport photo, and your completed but unsigned DS-11. The acceptance agent watches you sign it. In-person applicants also pay a $35 acceptance facility fee on top of the application fee, paid directly to the facility.⁶

If the Expired Passport Is Lost

Losing an expired passport is less of a problem than losing a valid one. The State Department specifically tells you not to report an expired passport as lost or stolen, because it’s already invalid for travel.⁹ You don’t file Form DS-64. But without the old book to send in, you also can’t renew by mail or online. You’ll apply in person on Form DS-11 and use another citizenship document, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate. That’s the practical reason to hold onto the expired passport even after you’ve moved on: it keeps the easier renewal paths open.

Fees

Adult renewal fees are the same by mail or online:⁶

Passport book: $130
Passport card: $30 (valid only for land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean)
Both book and card: $160
Expedited processing: add $60
1-3 day delivery of the finished book: add $22.05 (cards ship via First Class Mail)
Acceptance facility fee: $35 (in-person DS-11 applications only)

Passport photos taken at a pharmacy or shipping store typically run $5 to $17, or you can take your own following the State Department’s photo rules.

Processing Times and How to Move Faster

As of early 2026, routine processing takes four to six weeks and expedited processing takes two to three weeks. Those windows cover the time your application is at a passport agency or center, not mailing time on either end.¹⁰ Times shift with demand, so check the site before you apply.

To expedite a mail renewal, write “EXPEDITE” on the outside of the envelope and send it to the dedicated expedited address in Philadelphia.⁷ You can also add 1-3 day return delivery for $22.05.⁶

If you need to travel internationally in less than three weeks, book an appointment at a passport agency or center. The appointment must fall within 14 calendar days of your departure date, and you’ll need proof of upcoming travel like a flight itinerary.⁷

A separate emergency process exists when an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. Immediate family here means a parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. You’ll need documentation of the emergency and proof of international travel within two weeks.¹¹

Children and Teens

Children under 16 cannot renew by mail or online. Every application for a child under 16 is an in-person visit with Form DS-11, whether the child had a previous passport or not, and child passports are valid for only five years. Both parents or legal guardians generally must appear with the child. If one can’t come, the absent parent completes a notarized Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053), submitted within three months of signing. A parent with sole legal custody can submit a court order or other documentation.¹²

Applicants aged 16 and 17 also apply in person on Form DS-11 if their previous passport was issued before they turned 16, and they receive a 10-year adult passport. At least one parent must show awareness of the application, by coming along, sending a signed note, or having their name on the payment check.¹³

1
Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
2
eCFR. 42 CFR 435.407 – Types of Acceptable Documentary Evidence of Citizenship
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.0 Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity
4
Travel.State.Gov. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services
5
Travel.State.Gov. Renew Your Passport Online
6
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
7
U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
8
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
9
Travel.State.Gov. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
10
U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
11
Travel.State.Gov. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
12
U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
13
U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old