Form DS-82 renewals go directly to processing; a passport acceptance agent does not check the packet first. A missing passport, unsigned form, rejected photo, incorrect payment, or wrong mailing address puts the application on hold.
Before sealing the envelope, verify your eligibility, travel timing, form, passport, photo, supporting documents, and payment.
Can You Renew by Mail With Form DS-82?
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| You can submit your most recent passport | It has not been lost, stolen, or reported lost or stolen. |
| It was issued within the last 15 years | A passport issued more than 15 years ago cannot be renewed with DS-82. |
| It was issued when you were age 16 or older | It must also have been valid for the full 10-year adult period. |
| The name is current or documented | Include a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order when the name changed. |
| The passport has only normal wear | Water damage, major tears, missing pages, separation, or damage to the data page or back cover requires an in-person application. |
Apply in person with Form DS-11 when the passport fails any renewal requirement. Use our Form DS-82 instructions to prepare an eligible mail renewal.
Mail renewal is the wrong path when your trip is too close. Check passport agency and registered courier options before sending your current passport.
10 Common Form DS-82 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Assuming You Are Eligible to Renew by Mail
Issue: Form DS-82 is not available for every adult passport. Mailing DS-82 with a lost, stolen, outdated, child-validity, seriously damaged, or undocumented-name-change passport delays the application.
How to avoid it: Check the passport renewal requirements first. Complete the application with our Form DS-82 instructions. Apply in person with Form DS-11 when any DS-82 requirement is not met.
Treating Serious Damage as Normal Wear
Issue: Scuffs, soft corners, and light wear are different from water damage, major tears, missing pages, a separating cover, an unreadable identity page, or damage to the RFID chip in the back cover.
How to avoid it: Inspect the identity page, binding, pages, and back cover before starting the renewal. Follow the damaged passport replacement process and submit Form DS-11 in person when the damage goes beyond normal wear.
Completing or Printing the Form Carelessly
Issue: Incorrect dates, double-sided printing, reduced pages, blurry copies, white-out, handwritten changes to a typed form, and a missing signature can stop or delay processing.
How to avoid it: Use the official form filler and our DS-82 instructions. A different form result means you should recheck the birth date and previous passport issue date entered on the first screen. Print clean, single-sided pages on white letter-sized paper. Use black ink for handwritten entries. Start over after a mistake, and sign and date the form before mailing it.
Leaving Required Information Blank
Issue: Leaving a Social Security number, mailing address, phone number, email address, or another required field blank stops the State Department from completing the application.
How to avoid it: Complete every applicable field and follow the form instructions when one does not apply. Match names, dates, and passport details to the supporting documents. Check each section against our DS-82 completion instructions before printing the final form.
Sending the Wrong Passport Document
Issue: A mail renewal cannot be processed without the correct original passport document. A photocopy does not replace the passport book or card.
How to avoid it: Send the book when renewing a book, the card when renewing a card, and both when renewing both. To request your first passport card through DS-82, submit the eligible passport book. To request your first book, submit the eligible card. Follow the instructions for adding a passport card or book by mail.
Using the Wrong Name-Change Evidence
Issue: Writing a new name on Form DS-82 is not enough. A regular photocopy, phone image, or informal spelling change does not prove a legal name change.
How to avoid it: Include an original or certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order that supports the exact name requested. Use the passport name-change instructions. For a marriage-related change, check the marriage and honeymoon passport guide before mailing the renewal.
Submitting an Old or Noncompliant Photo
Issue: Reused passport photos, casual snapshots, filters, digital edits, poor lighting, incorrect backgrounds, and improper attachment place the renewal on hold.
How to avoid it: Submit one new color photo that meets the current passport photo requirements. The passport photo services guide lists places that take compliant photos. Attach the photo with four vertical staples near the outer corners, as shown in the photo attachment instructions.
Paying the Wrong Amount or Using the Wrong Method
Issue: A check for the wrong amount, an unsigned payment, cash, or an unnecessary $35 acceptance fee can delay a mail renewal.
How to avoid it: Check the current passport renewal fees immediately before writing the payment. Use a personal check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State. Write the applicant’s full name and date of birth on the front, and sign it. Add the $60 fee only when requesting expedited passport renewal. Do not add the DS-11 acceptance fee.
Mailing an Incomplete or Poorly Prepared Packet
Issue: Missing documents, an outdated mailing address, an unmarked expedited envelope, or loose materials in a weak envelope delay the renewal.
How to avoid it: Use the current address in the DS-82 mailing instructions. The address depends on where you live and whether you request routine or expedited service. Write EXPEDITE on the envelope when required. Use a secure, tear-resistant envelope and a trackable USPS service. Before sealing it, confirm that the signed form, passport, photo, signed payment, and supporting documents are inside.
Mailing the Renewal Too Close to the Trip
Issue: Published processing times do not include mailing or correction time. Mailing the current passport too close to departure can leave you without a valid travel document.
How to avoid it: Check current processing and mailing times before choosing a service. Routine processing is currently 4 to 6 weeks, and expedited processing is currently 2 to 3 weeks. Use the routine versus expedited guide when travel is several weeks away. For international travel within 14 days, follow the passport agency appointment process. Travelers who cannot make the agency trip can use the passport courier directory.
Online Renewal Has Different Rules
Online renewal is limited to applicants age 25 or older who have an eligible 10-year passport, are not changing personal information, live in a U.S. state or territory, and will not travel for at least six weeks. Online applications cannot be expedited.
You keep the physical passport, but the State Department cancels it after submission. It cannot be used for international travel while the online renewal is pending. Complete the application only through the official .gov renewal site; a third party cannot submit an online application for you.
Use the online passport renewal guide to check eligibility and application steps.
What Happens When the Application Has a Problem?
The State Department sends a letter or email when it needs a corrected form, new photo, payment, passport, or supporting document. Processing remains on hold until the requested item arrives.
Follow the notice exactly and include the letter when instructed. Send the requested item as soon as possible. Do not submit a second application unless the State Department directs you to do so. Track progress through the official Passport Application Status portal.
Final DS-82 Renewal Checklist
- You meet every requirement to renew by mail.
- Your travel date allows enough time for processing and mailing.
- The form is complete, single-sided, signed, and dated.
- The correct passport book, card, or both are included.
- The photo is new, compliant, and stapled correctly.
- The payment is for the exact amount, signed, and payable to the U.S. Department of State.
- Certified name-change evidence is included when required.
- The packet uses the current address and a trackable USPS service.
Form DS-82 FAQs
Only normal wear and tear is acceptable. Apply in person with DS-11 when the passport is damaged beyond normal wear.
No. Postal employees should not review a mail-renewal application or charge the $35 acceptance fee.
Yes. Submit your eligible passport book with the application. You can also submit an eligible card to request your first passport book.
Use four staples vertically in the corners, close to the photo’s outer edges. Do not bend the photo.
No. Mail renewal requires you to submit it. Online renewal lets you keep it physically, but the State Department cancels it after submission.
Follow the notice exactly, include the letter when instructed, and send the requested item as soon as possible. Do not submit a second application unless the State Department directs you to do so.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Our role: U.S. Passport Service Guide explains the renewal rules and the mail, online, expedited, agency, and courier options. The State Department decides eligibility, approval, issuance, and delivery.
Before mailing: Check the current DS-82 form, fee, mailing address, processing time, and application instructions. These details change.
