How to Renew a Passport Book or Card
Passport holders need to know how to renew a passport card or book before their documents are set to expire. This is especially true for individuals who plan on using these identification cards to take international trips in the near future. Sometimes, travelers may worry that they need to wait until their books or cards are only a few weeks within their expiration dates before the applicants can request new documents. However, this is not the case, and applicants who hesitate to renew their cards may be causing themselves more stress than is necessary. Candidates who want to know when and how to renew your passport need to understand and complete these procedures and requirements well before their official books and cards are set to expire. This is true even though applicants can renew an expired passport because proactive planning helps to eliminate any passport-related travel complications in the future.
Candidates who wonder, “How do I renew my passport book or card?” should know that they need to prepare to complete these steps several months before their documents expire. This suggestion is to the benefit of applicants who are planning international trips in the near future. Some countries prohibit entry from international travelers whose passport books are fewer than six months old. For these reasons, candidates should apply for their US passport renewal at least half a year before they plan to travel. The sections below outline additional tips and guidelines for petitioners who want to know how to renew a US passport and what additional requirements they need to meet. By preparing to obtain their documents in advance, applicants will have extra time to properly react to any mishaps that can occur throughout the application process.
How do I renew my passport?
One of the first pieces of information that applicants want to know is, “How do I renew my passport?” Generally, this process is straightforward. However, there are variations relating to the steps that petitioners need to take. These procedures vary less in regard to what documents applicants request and more regarding how old they are. For example, petitioners who wish to renew a child passport need to know that, technically, this process is not possible. Regardless of whether or not candidates who are younger than 16 years of age were previously issued passports, these petitioners must apply for new documents when their current passports expire. This means that child petitioners must apply for their passport books or cards in person using Form DS-11.
Alternatively, adults who are older than 16 years of age have the opportunity to renew a passport by mail. However, there is a specific form that candidates must use to complete this task. Applicants who want to be able to file their requests through the mail need to do so using DS-82. However, there are certain circumstances that can prohibit renewal applicants from being able to use this form. If any of the following situations apply to adult petitioners, they must renew their passport in person at an approved agency representative:
- Candidates’ current passports are lost or damaged beyond normal use, and the applicants cannot submit their documents along with their applications for new passports.
- Petitioners received their current passports before they were at least 16 years of age.
- The passports that applicants want to renew are older than 15 years of age.
- Renewal applicants changed their names since their last passports were issued, but they cannot document these changes with a court document or a marriage certificate.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/how-to-apply.html
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/renew-by-mail.html
Can I renew my passport online?
When petitioners research how to renew a US passport, they will learn that they are unable to submit their renewal requests online. This means that petitioners cannot send their completed renewal applications to the federal government using a website form. Even though applicants cannot submit their petitions online, they are still able to obtain blank copies of these documents on the government’s website. This helps to ensure that individuals who live in remote areas of the country that do not have immediate access to a passport facility can still obtain these documents. These same rules apply to applicants who want to know how to renew an expired passport. Regardless of when candidates need their documents, they cannot file their passport requests online.
What documents do I need to renew my passport?
There are various documents that claimants need to produce when they renew a passport using Form DS-82. Specifically, candidates need to be sure that they are prepared to submit the following:
- The applicant’s most recent passport book or card
- Marriage certificates or court documents, if the petitioners changed their names since they received their most recent passports
- A passport-approved photo that is stapled to the application at all four corners
- Associated fees that correspond to the documents the applicants are requesting
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/renew-by-mail.html
How much does it cost to renew my passport?
Petitioners need to know how much it costs to renew a passport book or card before they apply for documentation. These figures vary not only based on what types of documents applicants request, but on whether the petitioners are children or adults. For example, adult passport petitioners can expect to pay the following fees for their documents:
- Passport book – $110
- Passport card – $30
- Passport book and card – $140
Since applicants cannot renew a child passport, these petitioners need to know that they will be expected to pay the normal fees that are associated with first-time youth applications. This means that all applicants who are younger than 16 years of age are required to pay a $35 acceptance or execution fee in addition to the following amounts:
- Passport book – $80
- Passport card – $15
- Passport book and card – $95
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements/fees.html
How long does it take to renew a passport?
Once applicants learn how to renew a passport, they will likely want to know how long it takes until they receive their documents. This information is especially important for petitioners who are operating in short time frames and need their renewed passports within a certain period of time. Generally, it can take applicants anywhere between four and six weeks to receive their passport renewals in the mail. However, petitioners who want to expedite their passports may pay to do so through by requesting services through a verified third-party provider. Applicants must pay extra for these services, and candidates who select these additions are able to receive their passport books and cards more quickly. Different expedition packages are available depending on how quickly individuals need their documents, and the associated fees vary accordingly.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements/processing-times.html