How to Renew a US Passport by Mail

The trip is booked and the passport expires before it, and the assumption is that this means standing in line somewhere. Whether the renewal goes in an envelope or needs an in person application is settled by a short checklist on one official page.

Check the conditions the State Department lists

The renew by mail page says you can renew by mail if you can submit your most recent passport with the application, it has never been reported lost or stolen, it was issued within the last 15 years, it was issued when you were age 16 or older and was valid for 10 years, it was issued in your current name or you can supply a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing the change, and it is not damaged beyond normal wear and tear. It adds that anyone who misses those conditions must apply in person.

Compare the mail route against online renewal

As of September 2026, the online renewal page describes that service as open to applicants age 25 or older, in a US state or territory, not changing a name, whose 10 year passport expires within 1 year or expired less than 5 years ago. It states that online renewals cannot be expedited and asks that travel be at least 6 weeks away.

Fill out Form DS-82 and attach one photo

The renewal form is Form DS-82, listed on the passport forms page. The renew by mail page says to print it single sided, sign it, and staple one photo to it. The passport photo page states that unacceptable photos are the leading reason applications are put on hold, and names the causes: shadows, a background that is not plain white or off-white, glasses even resting on the head, an open mouth, a photo older than 6 months, and any edit made with filters or artificial intelligence.

Pay the fee and pick a processing speed

As of September 2026, the passport fees page shows $130 for a renewed book, $30 for a card, and $160 for both, by check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State, plus $60 to expedite and $23.36 for 1 to 3 day return delivery. As of the same date, the processing times page gives routine as 4 to 6 weeks and expedited as 2 to 3 weeks, excluding up to 2 weeks of mail each way. Both figures move, so read them on the day.

Mail it with tracking and follow the status

The renew by mail page routes applications to a US Postal Service box at the National Passport Processing Center, with a separate box for expedited applications marked EXPEDITE on the envelope. Because it is a PO box, private couriers cannot deliver there. That page says the first status appears about 2 weeks after mailing and can be followed at the application status tool, and that the old passport returns in a separate mailing up to 2 weeks after the new one.

If the trip is sooner than the processing time. The urgent travel page describes an appointment at a passport agency for travel within 14 calendar days.

Sources. Renew by Mail, Renew Online, Form DS-82, Passport Forms, Passport Photos, Passport Fees, Processing Time, Urgent Travel, Application Status.