How to Renew a US Passport by Mail (2026): Photo Checklist & Step-by-Step

To renew a US passport by mail, complete and sign Form DS-82, staple one 2×2 inch color photo taken in the last six months to the form, and mail it with your most recent passport, any name change document, and a check or money order for the fee. The routine adult passport book fee is $130 ($50 application fee plus the $80 security surcharge in the State Department's fee schedule, 22 CFR 22.1). You qualify if your last passport was issued when you were 16 or older, within the past 15 years, is in your current name (or you can document the change), and is not damaged, lost or stolen.

Who can renew a passport by mail with Form DS-82?

Section A of the DS-82 instructions (edition 04-2025) lists the eligibility test. You can use the form only if you can answer yes to every one of these statements about your most recent passport book or card:

• You can send your most recent passport with the application.
• You were at least 16 years old when it was issued.
• It was issued less than 15 years ago.
• It has not been damaged, mutilated, or reported lost or stolen.
• Its validity was not limited to less than the normal ten years (for example, because of damage or multiple losses).
• Your name has not changed since it was issued, or it changed by marriage or court order and you can send a certified document showing the change.

If any answer is no, the form says to stop: you will likely need to apply in person with Form DS-11 instead (or Form DS-5504 in some correction cases). Children under 16 cannot renew; travel.state.gov says a child's passport must be applied for as a new passport. US citizens living outside the United States and Canada cannot mail the DS-82 to the domestic addresses and should follow their embassy or consulate's instructions.

How much does it cost to renew a passport by mail?

Passport fees are set in the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services at 22 CFR 22.1, which we checked on eCFR in October 2026. There is no $35 execution (acceptance) fee for a DS-82, because you do not apply in person; the DS-82 instructions state there is no execution fee to use this form.

Pay with a personal check or money order made payable to "U.S. Department of State", and write the applicant's full name and date of birth on the front, as the renew-by-mail page on travel.state.gov instructs. Do not send cash. The DS-82 instructions also note that passport fees are non-refundable by law.

What do you put in the envelope?

The "STOP" box on page 2 of the DS-82 is a good final check. Your envelope should contain:

• Both application pages of the DS-82, printed on two separate sheets of paper, filled in with black ink, and signed and dated on page 1. You do not need to send the instruction pages.
• Your most recent passport book and/or card. The instructions ask you to send any valid passport you have.
• One 2×2 inch color photo, stapled to page 1.
• A check or money order for the fees.
• If your name has changed: a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or original court order (more on this below).

The DS-82 says not to correct mistakes or use white-out; if you make an error, start a fresh form. Your old passport and original documents are mailed back to you, sometimes in a separate envelope from the new passport.

How do you renew by mail, step by step?

1. Confirm you meet every eligibility statement in Section A of the DS-82 instructions.
2. Get a current DS-82. Download the latest edition from travel.state.gov or eforms.state.gov (the current edition is dated 04-2025), then print both application pages on separate sheets.
3. Fill in the form in black ink. Enter your name exactly as it should appear in the new passport, list any other names you have used, and enter your Social Security number (the form explains what to do if you have never been issued one).
4. Sign and date Application Page 1. An unsigned form is one of the first things the STOP box tells you to check.
5. Get one 2×2 color photo that meets the checklist below, then staple it to page 1 with four staples placed vertically in the corners.
6. Write a check or money order to "U.S. Department of State" for the correct total, with your full name and date of birth on the front.
7. Add your most recent passport and, if needed, your certified name change document.
8. Mail everything to the correct address for your state (table below), ideally with a trackable service, which the DS-82 recommends. Write "Expedite" on the outside of the envelope if you paid for expedited service.
9. Track your application at passportstatus.state.gov once it has had time to arrive.

Where do you mail your passport renewal?

The DS-82 instructions (edition 04-2025) list three addresses, based on where you live and whether you are paying for expedited service:

How long does renewal by mail take?

When we checked in October 2026, travel.state.gov listed routine processing at 4–6 weeks and expedited processing at 2–3 weeks. Those figures do not include mailing time: the State Department says it may take up to 2 weeks for your application to arrive and up to 2 weeks for the new passport to reach you after it is mailed. Processing times change with demand, so check the processing times page before you book travel.

What are the DS-82 photo requirements?

The DS-82 asks for one color photograph, 2×2 inches (51×51 mm), and refers you to travel.state.gov/photos for the full rules. Combining the form instructions with that page, here is the checklist:

• Exactly one photo, in color, 2×2 inches.
• Taken less than six months ago.
• Head 1 to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
• Facing the camera directly with your full face in view.
• Plain white or off-white background, free of shadows, textures or objects.
• No eyeglasses, unless you include a signed doctor's statement explaining why you cannot remove them.
• No head covering, unless you include a signed statement that it is religious attire worn continuously in public, or a doctor's statement for medical use.
• No uniform, clothing that looks like a uniform, or camouflage.
• No filters or retouching.
• Printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.

For clothing, glasses and hair advice, see our guide What to Wear for a Passport Photo. If you are wondering whether to order a second copy, How Many Passport Photos Do I Need? explains why one is enough for a DS-82.

How do you attach the passport photo to the DS-82?

When you renew by mail, you attach the photo yourself. The instructions say: "Use 4 staples vertically in the corners as close to the outer edges as possible. Do not bend the photo." Line the photo up with the photo box on Application Page 1, which is marked with staple positions.

What if your name has changed?

You can still renew by mail if your name changed by marriage or court order. Send a certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or the original court order showing the change; the DS-82 says original documents are returned by mail and photocopies are not. Enter your new name in item 1 and your previous names in item 9. If you cannot document the change this way, the form says you must apply in person with a DS-11.

What mistakes delay a mail renewal?

• Forgetting to sign and date Application Page 1.
• Printing the two application pages on one double-sided sheet instead of two separate sheets.
• Using an old photo, or one with glasses, shadows, or a head that is too small or too large.
• Bending the photo, or stapling anywhere other than the four corners.
• Leaving out the old passport, or sending a damaged one that should go with a DS-11.
• Paying the wrong amount, adding the $35 execution fee that does not apply, or sending cash.
• Changing your name without a certified document to prove it.
• Mailing to the wrong PO box, or paying for expedited service without writing "Expedite" on the envelope.
• Leaving out your Social Security number, which the form warns can cause significant delays or denial.

Free tools that can help

The free Passport Photo Checker at /passport-photo-checker runs basic checks on size and framing before you print, and the free Print Sheet Maker at /passport-photo-print-sheet puts six 2×2 copies on one 4×6 print so you can order it as a regular photo. Our guide How to Print Passport Photos on a 4×6 at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart or Costco covers ordering it without scaling errors, and /free-tools lists the rest. These tools do not replace the official rules, so keep the DS-82 instructions next to you as you go.