Renewing your passport by mail, step by step
The passportphoto.digital team · August 5, 2026 · 4 min read
Mail renewal is the easy path: no appointment, no acceptance agent, no execution fee. But it has four eligibility gates, and failing any one of them means starting over with a DS-11 in person — so check them before you fill anything out.
The short version
- Form DS-82 is mail-only renewal. It is cheaper than applying in person because there is no execution fee.
- You qualify only if your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued when you were 16 or older, was issued within the last 15 years, and is in your current name or you can document the change.
- Your old passport goes in the envelope. You get it back, canceled, separately from the new one.
The four eligibility rules
You can renew by mail only if you can answer yes to all four. Your most recent passport is submitted with the application and is undamaged. It was issued when you were 16 or older. It was issued within the last 15 years. And it is in your current legal name, or you can include a certified document showing the name change.
Miss any one and you are applying in person with Form DS-11 as though it were your first passport. That means an acceptance facility, an appointment, original proof of citizenship, and the execution fee on top of the application fee.
The one that trips people most often is the fifteen-year window. A passport issued in 2010 expired in 2020 and is now outside the window, so a 2026 application for it cannot go by mail — even though it is a straightforward replacement in every other respect.
What actually goes in the envelope
A completed and signed Form DS-82. Your most recent passport book. One color photo, 2 × 2 inches, taken in the last six months. A check or money order for the fee, made out to the Department of State, with your full name and date of birth written on the front. And a name-change document, if that applies.
Do not staple, clip or tape the photo to anything unless the form tells you where. Do not send cash. Do not send a photocopy of your old passport in place of the passport — the physical book has to go in, and yes, that means being without it for the duration.
Use a trackable mailing service. It costs a few dollars and it is the only way to know your application arrived, which matters because the processing clock does not start until it does.
Renewing online, and why it is not always available
The State Department has an online renewal system that removes the envelope entirely — you fill out the form, upload a digital photo, and pay online. When it is open and you qualify, it is the fastest and least error-prone way to renew.
Availability has come and gone during rollout, and eligibility is narrower than the paper DS-82: it generally excludes name changes, damaged passports, and applications where you need the passport urgently. Check whether it is open to you before assuming it is the route you will take.
The photo rules do not change between paper and online. Online submission does add an automated check at upload, which will reject a file that is not square, is too small, or looks edited — so the specification matters more, not less.
The photo is the part you control
Everything else in a renewal is paperwork you either have or you do not. The photo is the one item where quality is up to you, and it is the most common reason a straightforward renewal turns into a letter and a delay.
The requirement is a 2 × 2 inch color photo taken within the last six months, with your head measuring between 1 and 1⅜ inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair, on a plain white or off-white background. No glasses. Neutral expression or a natural closed-mouth smile. Both eyes open and visible.
That head-height band is about three-eighths of an inch wide, which is why so many otherwise fine photos fail. It is a measurement, not a judgment call — which means it can be checked before you mail anything rather than after.
Need the photo for this?
One 2 × 2 inch photo covers passports, USCIS forms, green cards and visas. Upload one, read the report on all eleven requirements, and pay only if it passes.
Check my photo freeFrequently asked
Who can renew a passport by mail?+
Anyone whose most recent passport is undamaged, was issued at age 16 or older, was issued within the last 15 years, and is in their current name or accompanied by a certified name-change document.
Do I have to send my old passport in?+
Yes. It is submitted with the DS-82 and returned to you canceled, usually in a separate mailing from your new passport.
Is renewing by mail cheaper?+
Yes. Mail renewal has no execution fee, because there is no acceptance agent involved. You pay the application fee only.
Can I renew if my passport expired ten years ago?+
No. It must have been issued within the last 15 years — a passport issued more than 15 years ago requires an in-person DS-11 application.
How recent does the photo need to be?+
Taken within the last six months, and it must reflect your current appearance. A photo from your last renewal is not reusable.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Fees, forms and processing times are revised regularly — the linked government page is the authority. Written and maintained by the passportphoto.digital team.