You do not have to renew a U.S. passport before it expires. An eligible adult can renew by mail with Form DS-82 while the passport is valid or for about five years after it expires. The controlling rule is that the most recent passport must have been issued within the last 15 years.
That is the technical deadline. For travel, renew much earlier. Many destinations require three or six months of passport validity beyond the trip, and routine processing plus mailing can take several weeks. Renewing six to nine months before expiration avoids most validity problems.
When Can You Still Renew?
| Passport status | What you can do | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| More than one year before expiration | An eligible adult can renew by mail with Form DS-82. | Online renewal is limited to passports expiring within one year or expired less than five years. |
| Within one year of expiration | An eligible adult can renew by mail or online. | Do not renew if you need the current passport for near-term travel. |
| Expired less than five years | An eligible adult can normally renew with Form DS-82 by mail or online. | The passport must have been issued when you were 16 or older and must meet the other renewal rules. |
| Expired about five years or more | Apply in person with Form DS-11. | You can still get a passport, but the application is treated as a new application rather than a renewal. |
| Issued before age 16 | Apply in person with Form DS-11. | Passports issued to children under 16 cannot be renewed. |
| Lost, stolen, or significantly damaged | Report the passport when required and apply in person with Form DS-11. | Form DS-82 cannot be used when the passport is unavailable or materially damaged. |
Do not mail a routine renewal. Attend a regional passport agency appointment, or use a registered passport courier service to provide personalized support and handle the logistics for you. If you already applied, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 first.
The Technical Last Day to Use Form DS-82
Form DS-82 renewal eligibility is based on the issue date of the most recent passport. It must have been issued within the last 15 years, when the applicant was age 16 or older.
Because a full-validity adult passport normally lasts 10 years, the mail-renewal window continues for roughly five years after expiration. Once the passport was issued more than 15 years ago, use Form DS-11 and apply in person.
Do not calculate the deadline from the expiration date alone.
Check the issue date printed on the passport. The Form DS-82 rule is “issued within the last 15 years,” so the exact cutoff is tied to that date.
The Practical Deadline Is Six to Nine Months Before Expiration
Waiting until the passport expires can leave you unable to take a trip even while the document is technically valid. Many countries require the passport to remain valid for three or six months beyond the planned departure date.
Airlines check destination requirements before boarding. A passport with several months remaining can still be rejected for a specific itinerary.
Renew six to nine months before expiration when:
- You expect to travel internationally during the passport’s final year.
- Your destination requires six months of validity.
- You need a visa before the trip.
- You want time to correct a photo, form, fee, or document problem.
- You do not want to use urgent or expedited service.
Check the destination rule in our six-month validity guide and confirm it with the airline or destination government.
When Online Renewal Is Available
Online renewal has a narrower timing window than mail renewal. The passport must expire within one year or have expired less than five years ago. The applicant must also meet the age, passport-validity, residence, travel, and personal-information requirements.
Submitting an online renewal cancels the current passport. Do not submit the application when you still need that passport for travel. Review our online passport renewal guide before starting.
What Happens After the Passport Expires?
An expired passport is not valid for international travel. It can still support a renewal application when it meets the Form DS-82 rules.
If it expired less than five years ago and is otherwise eligible, renew by mail or online. If it was issued more than 15 years ago, was issued before age 16, is unavailable, or is significantly damaged, apply in person with Form DS-11.
See our comparison of whether to renew an expired passport or submit a new application.
What You Need for a Mail Renewal
An eligible mail renewal requires:
- A completed and signed Form DS-82.
- The most recent passport book or card.
- One compliant passport photo.
- The correct passport fee.
- An original or certified name-change document when the current name is not shown on the passport.
Review the passport renewal instructions and the most common Form DS-82 mistakes before mailing the application.
Do Not Ignore Processing and Mailing Time
Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks, and expedited processing is 2 to 3 weeks. Mailing can add up to two weeks before processing and up to two weeks after the passport is mailed.
The new passport receives a new issue date and a new full validity period. The unused time remaining on the old passport is not added to the new one. See how the new expiration date is calculated.
Renewing early does not create a second usable passport.
A mail renewal requires you to send the current passport. An online renewal cancels it when the application is submitted. Plan around any trips scheduled during processing.
Passport Renewal Timing FAQs
Yes. An eligible adult can renew by mail before expiration. Online renewal is limited to passports expiring within one year or expired less than five years.
Form DS-82 requires the passport to have been issued within the last 15 years. For a normal 10-year adult passport, that gives you roughly five years after expiration.
Six to nine months before expiration is a useful target when you expect international travel. It accounts for destination-validity rules, processing, mailing, and possible application corrections.
You cannot use the passport submitted with a mail renewal. An online renewal cancels the current passport when submitted. Use urgent service when travel cannot wait for normal processing.
No. Passports issued to children under 16 cannot be renewed. The child must apply in person with Form DS-11 and meet the current parental-consent rules.
No. The new passport receives a full validity period beginning on its new issue date. Remaining validity from the old passport is not carried forward.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Our role: We explain when a passport remains eligible for renewal and how travel plans affect the timing decision. The State Department decides renewal eligibility, application approval, issuance, and processing.
