If a valid U.S. passport is lost or stolen, report it and replace it before international travel. Once the State Department cancels the passport, it cannot be used again even if you later find it.
Replacement is not a renewal. In the United States, you normally apply in person with Form DS-11. If the passport was lost or stolen abroad, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for replacement instructions.
For urgent travel, a private passport courier can review your DS-11 package and handle permitted submission logistics after the required in-person acceptance step. The courier cannot report the passport for you or guarantee issuance.
| Situation | First action | Replacement path |
|---|---|---|
| Lost or stolen in the United States | Report the valid passport lost or stolen. Online reporting is the fastest way to cancel it. | Apply in person with Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility. |
| Travel within 14 days | Report the passport and confirm that you meet the urgent-travel rules. | Make a regional passport agency appointment and bring proof of international travel. |
| Foreign visa needed within 28 days | Report the passport and confirm the visa deadline. | Use the urgent passport agency process if you qualify. |
| Lost or stolen abroad | Report it and contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. | The post may issue a full-validity passport or, for urgent travel, a limited-validity emergency passport. |
| You find it after reporting it | Do not travel with it. | The reported passport remains invalid. Use the replacement passport. |
Report a valid lost or stolen passport
Reporting the passport cancels it. The State Department currently offers three ways to report a valid passport book or card that is physically lost or stolen:
- Online: Use the State Department’s online reporting tool. This is the fastest reporting method; the State Department says it cancels the passport within one business day and emails a confirmation.
- By mail: Complete Form DS-64 and mail it to the address printed on the current form. This takes longer because the State Department must receive and process the mailed report.
- While applying for the replacement: Explain the loss or theft on Form DS-11 when you apply in person. If the application does not contain enough information, the State Department may ask for Form DS-64.
Do not report an expired passport as lost or stolen. The State Department’s lost/stolen reporting process is for valid passports. If an expired passport is unavailable, use the passport form rules that apply to your next application.
Once a valid passport has been reported lost or stolen, it cannot be reactivated. Finding it later does not make it valid for travel.
4 steps to replace a lost or stolen passport in the United States
- Report the valid passport. If you want it canceled as quickly as possible, use the online reporting tool rather than waiting for a mailed report or the replacement application to reach the State Department.
- Complete Form DS-11. A lost or stolen passport cannot be renewed with Form DS-82 because you cannot submit the passport being replaced. Complete Form DS-11, but do not sign it until an acceptance agent tells you to do so.
- Gather the application documents. Bring original or certified evidence of U.S. citizenship, acceptable photo identification and the required photocopy, one compliant passport photo, and the required passport fees.
- Apply in person. Submit the DS-11 application at an authorized passport acceptance facility. Many post offices, clerks of court, public libraries, and local government offices serve as acceptance facilities.
Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited processing is 2 to 3 weeks. Mailing time is separate from State Department processing time.
If the passport was stolen
A stolen passport follows the same State Department replacement process as a lost passport, but the theft may create other issues to document.
A police report is not required by the State Department to replace a lost or stolen passport. It can still be useful when the passport was stolen, especially if other identification, credit cards, cash, or personal documents were taken at the same time. Keep a copy for your records and for any insurance or local-law-enforcement follow-up.
If the passport was taken with a wallet or other sensitive documents, respond to those losses separately. Cancel affected financial cards, protect any other exposed accounts or identification, and monitor for misuse appropriate to the information that was stolen.
Passport number exposed, but the physical passport is still in your possession? The State Department says a passport number alone cannot be used for international travel. Do not report a valid passport lost or stolen solely because someone may have seen or copied its number; reporting it would permanently cancel the document.
Replacing a lost or stolen passport abroad
If your passport is lost or stolen outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. You need a new passport before returning to the United States or continuing international travel.
Bring as much of the following as you can:
- Form DS-11 and details about when and where the passport was lost or stolen.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate, expired passport, or a copy of the lost passport.
- Photo identification, if available.
- One passport photo, if you can obtain one before the appointment.
- Your itinerary or other proof of immediate travel.
- A police report, if you filed one. It is helpful but not mandatory.
Consular staff can still assist when some documents are unavailable. For urgent travel, an embassy or consulate may issue a limited-validity emergency passport. The State Department says that, in most cases, a replacement passport abroad is issued the next business day, but timing depends on the circumstances and the post.
Most embassies and consulates cannot issue passports on weekends or holidays. After-hours duty officers are available for U.S. citizens with emergencies abroad.
Urgent replacement in the United States
If you have not yet applied and you have international travel within 14 calendar days, or need a foreign visa within 28 calendar days, you may qualify for a regional passport agency appointment. Bring the lost/stolen information, a complete DS-11 package, appointment confirmation, and proof of travel.
Do not submit a routine application. Attend a regional passport agency appointment, or use a registered passport courier service to provide personalized support and handle permitted agency-submission logistics.
A private courier cannot report the passport for you, waive the DS-11 in-person requirement, approve the application, or make the State Department adjudicate it faster than an agency appointment. Its value is document review and permitted submission logistics when getting to a regional agency is difficult.
Fees for replacing a lost or stolen passport
A replacement submitted with Form DS-11 uses the same government fee structure as other DS-11 applications. Adults pay the application fee plus the acceptance-facility execution fee. Expedited service adds the current State Department expedite fee. Use our passport fees page for the current amounts and payment methods.
Lost or stolen passport replacement FAQs
No. You can report a valid passport lost or stolen online, but the replacement application normally requires Form DS-11 and an in-person appearance.
No. The State Department does not require a police report to replace a lost or stolen passport. If you filed one, include a copy or the report details when asked. A report may also help document a theft for insurance or local-law-enforcement purposes.
Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks, and expedited processing is 2 to 3 weeks, plus mailing time. Qualifying urgent travelers may use a passport agency appointment. Abroad, replacement timing depends on the embassy or consulate and the traveler’s circumstances.
Do not use it. Once the State Department cancels a reported passport, it remains invalid even if you recover it later.
No. The State Department says not to report an expired passport as lost or stolen. Follow the application rules for the passport you need next.
Yes. Report a valid lost or stolen passport card and apply for a replacement. A passport card cannot be used for international air travel.
No. The State Department states that using a registered courier does not make the passport arrive faster than applying at a passport agency. A courier may still help with document review and permitted submission logistics.
Report it and contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Consular staff can help with a full-validity replacement or, when urgent travel requires it, a limited-validity emergency passport.
Last reviewed: September 25, 2026.
Our role: U.S. Passport Service Guide is an independent passport information resource. We explain the official lost/stolen reporting and replacement process first, then compare private courier options when they may help with urgent logistics.
