Passport Renewal Eligibility Checker: Can You Renew by Mail?

The checker walks through the same yes-or-no gates the State Department lists for mail renewal. You chat in plain language. We ask about possession of your last book, your age when that book was issued, damage, name changes without documentation, and how long ago the book expired. Each answer narrows the path to DS-82 by mail, DS-11 in person, or a report-then-replace flow for lost passports.

The assistant cites current fee amounts from our config, not from memory. Mail renewal pays the book application fee only. First-time and most in-person renewals also pay the execution fee at the acceptance facility. The tool does not file anything for you. It tells you which form to download and where to read official instructions before you write a check or book an appointment.

Online renewal through the MyTravelGov pilot follows a separate eligibility list on travel.state.gov. This page focuses on paper DS-82 mail and DS-11 in-person rules that apply nationwide. If your case is unusual, such as a gender marker change with court orders, the chat will flag documents you should gather before visiting a clerk.

Keep your old passport book until you receive the new one unless official guidance tells you to submit it with DS-82. Damaged books, missing visa pages, or significant wear usually force an in-person DS-11 even when the expiration date looks fine on paper.

Military members and some federal employees have separate renewal channels through their orders offices. This chat covers civilian DS-82 and DS-11 paths. If you were issued a limited-validity passport after a name or gender data correction, answer with those details so we do not assume a standard ten-year renewal.

Whether you can use Form DS-82 and mail your application to the address on the form. DS-82 requires your most recent passport, issued when you were 16 or older, undamaged, and submitted within the allowed years after expiration. Children under 16 always renew in person on DS-11 with both parents or proper consent forms.

When you must use Form DS-11 at a passport acceptance facility instead. That includes first-time adult applicants, expired books issued before age 16, name changes without a marriage certificate or court order, and reported lost or stolen passports after you file Form DS-64. In-person adult book totals start at about $165.00 including execution as of September 1, 2026.

Which supporting documents to pull before you start. Mail renewal needs a new photo, a completed DS-82, your most recent book, and payment for $130.00. In-person DS-11 needs proof of citizenship, photo ID, a photo, and the execution fee paid to the facility. Our documents hub lists checklists by scenario.

Links to cost pages so you can compare renewal against first-time pricing. Read adult renewal cost for the mail path and first-time adult cost if you must switch to DS-11. Processing times follow the same routine and expedited ranges whether you mail or apply in person once the file reaches the State Department.

Passport cards follow parallel renewal rules with smaller fees. If you added a card on your last book, mention it in the chat so we flag card-only mail options when they exist. Book-only travelers can ignore card questions unless they want both documents on the same submission.