How do I renew my passport if I do not have the current passport?

by Lori
(Biglerville, PA)

Question: My daughter's passport expires this year and I would like to renew it for her. However, too late, we realized her passport was still in the backpack that she had used on her last trip. The backpack was thrown away because a cat at her father's house peed on it and I didn't want to dig through the bag & just threw it away. I didn't realize her passport was still in that bag.

One other question, I was married in April and my passport was issued less than 1 year ago. Do I still have to send the 2 pictures even though the one on record on my current passport is recent and still looks exactly like me?

Thank you for your time.

Answer: If your daughter is unable to submit her most recent passport, then she will have to apply for new passport using form DS-11. If she was a minor when her last passport was issued, she would have to do this anyway.

For complete instructions on how to get her a passport, click the link below.

How to Apply for a New Passport

If your daughter is age 15 or younger, there are special requirements that must be met. For more information, click the link below.

How to Get a Passport for a Minor

Concerning the name change in your passport, you only have to send photos if your current passport was issued more than 90 days ago.

For more information and to download the form, click the link below.

Apply for a Passport Name Change