How to Renew Your Passport

By the Between the News desk · researched with AI tools, checked and edited by a human editor

Mail renewal is only available if your prior passport was issued in the last 15 yearsCan't renew if your passport was lost, stolen, or belongs to a child under 16Requires your old passport, 1 new photo, and payment by check or money orderYour old passport is returned separately, sometimes up to 2 weeks after the new oneSource: travel.state.gov

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Renewing a passport by mail is considerably simpler than the first-time application process — but only if you meet a specific set of eligibility conditions first.

The core requirement: your previous passport has to have been issued within the last 15 years, and it can't have been reported lost or stolen. If either of those doesn't apply to you, mail renewal isn't an option, and you'll need to apply in person as if it were your first passport instead. Mail renewal also isn't available for children under 16 — a new application is required for them regardless of how recently a prior passport was issued.

If you're eligible, the paperwork is straightforward: submit your actual physical previous passport along with your application (it gets returned to you separately later), one new passport photo stapled to the application in the corners, and payment by personal check or money order — credit cards aren't accepted for mail renewals. If your legal name has changed since your last passport, you'll also need to include a certified copy of the legal document proving the name change, like a marriage certificate or court order.

One detail that surprises people: your old passport doesn't come back in the same envelope as your new one. It's mailed separately, and can arrive up to 2 weeks after your new passport shows up — worth knowing if you're relying on the old one for identification in the meantime.

Mail your renewal application via USPS to the National Passport Processing Center; using any other carrier can cause delays since the P.O. Box address is specifically set up for USPS delivery.

“Your old passport and your new one don't arrive together — the old one comes back separately, sometimes up to two weeks later.”