Renew the expired passport if it meets every Form DS-82 requirement. Apply in person for a new passport with Form DS-11 when any renewal requirement is not met.
The expiration date alone does not decide which form you need. The passport’s issue date, your age when it was issued, its condition, whether you still have it, and any name change determine the correct process.
For travel within 14 days (or 28 days if a visa is required): follow our guide to urgent renewals instead.
Expired Passport Decision Table
| Your expired passport | Correct action |
|---|---|
| Issued within the last 15 years, issued at age 16 or older for 10 years, undamaged, and available to submit | Renew by mail with Form DS-82. Online renewal is also available when you meet its stricter rules. |
| Issued more than 15 years ago | Apply in person with Form DS-11. |
| Issued before your 16th birthday or valid for fewer than 10 years | Apply in person with Form DS-11. A child-validity passport cannot be renewed. |
| Lost, stolen, damaged, or unavailable to submit | Use the new adult passport process. Do not report an expired passport lost or stolen. |
| Name has changed | Renew by mail if you meet the other DS-82 rules and include an original or certified legal name-change document. |
Do not mail a routine application. Your two options are to make and attend a regional passport agency appointment or use a registered passport courier service to make and attend the appointment on your behalf.
Renew the Expired Passport by Mail
Use Form DS-82 when your most recent passport:
- Can be submitted with the application.
- Has never been reported lost or stolen.
- Was issued within the last 15 years.
- Was issued when you were age 16 or older and was valid for 10 years.
- Is undamaged except for normal wear.
- Is in your current name, or you can document the legal name change.
A standard 10-year passport can therefore remain eligible for mail renewal for up to five years after it expires. Follow the passport renewal guide and the detailed Form DS-82 instructions.
Mail renewal requires your most recent passport, a new photo, payment, and legal name-change evidence when applicable. You do not pay the $35 acceptance fee.
Renew the Expired Passport Online
Online renewal has stricter rules. You must be age 25 or older, be located in a U.S. state or territory, and have a 10-year passport that is expiring within one year or expired less than five years ago. You cannot change your name or other personal information, and your international travel must be at least six weeks away.
Online renewal is routine service only. You keep the physical passport, but the State Department cancels it after submission, so it cannot be used for travel.
Use the online passport renewal guide to check every requirement before applying.
Apply for a New Passport in Person
Apply in person with Form DS-11 when the expired passport:
- Was issued more than 15 years ago.
- Was issued before age 16.
- Was valid for fewer than 10 years and does not meet limited-validity renewal rules.
- Is lost, stolen, damaged, or unavailable to submit.
Bring the completed unsigned Form DS-11, original evidence of U.S. citizenship, an acceptable photo ID, photocopies, one passport photo, and the required fees to a passport acceptance facility.
If your expired passport is lost
The State Department accepts lost-or-stolen reports for valid passports, not expired ones. An expired passport cannot be used for international travel.
If the expired passport is missing, you cannot renew with Form DS-82 because you cannot submit your most recent passport. Do not file Form DS-64 for an expired passport. Apply in person with Form DS-11, explain what happened to the expired passport, and include a police report if it was stolen and you filed one.
An expired passport still contains personal information. If it was stolen or you suspect misuse, review your credit reports, place a free credit freeze, monitor your accounts, and report any identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov.
Renewal vs. New Passport Application
| Criteria | Renew With DS-82 | Apply With DS-11 |
|---|---|---|
| Submission | By mail; eligible applicants can also renew online | In person at an acceptance facility |
| Most recent passport | Must be submitted for mail renewal | Submit it when available; bring other citizenship evidence as required |
| Passport book fee | $130 | $130 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee |
| Passport card fee | $30 | $30 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee |
| Book and card fee | $160 | $160 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee |
| Processing choices | Routine or expedited by mail; routine only online | Routine, expedited, or urgent agency service |
| Name change | Allowed by mail with certified legal evidence | Allowed with legal evidence |
Check the current passport fee schedule before submitting either application.
Choose the Service Based on Your Travel Date
Routine processing is currently 4 to 6 weeks, and expedited processing is currently 2 to 3 weeks. Mailing time is not included.
- Travel in six weeks or more: Use routine service.
- Travel in less than six weeks: Use expedited service.
- International travel within 14 days: Request a passport agency appointment.
A registered passport courier can handle agency submission and pickup when you cannot make the agency trip yourself. Compare options in the passport courier directory.
Expired Passport FAQs
Yes, when it was issued within the last 15 years, at age 16 or older for 10 years, is undamaged, is in your possession, and meets the other DS-82 rules.
Use Form DS-11 when the passport was issued more than 15 years ago, issued before age 16, lost, stolen, damaged, unavailable, or otherwise ineligible for renewal.
Yes, when you meet every online requirement, including age 25 or older, expiration less than five years ago, no personal-information changes, and no international travel for at least six weeks.
No. Eligible applicants can use DS-82 by mail with an original or certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.
No. Apply in person with Form DS-11 when the expired passport is unavailable.
No. An expired U.S. passport is not valid for international travel.
Official sources: Review State Department instructions for renewing by mail, renewing online, applying as an adult, passport fees, and processing times.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Our role: U.S. Passport Service Guide explains the renewal and new-application rules and helps travelers choose the correct process for their documents and travel date. The State Department decides eligibility, approval, issuance, and delivery.
