Can You Renew an Expired Passport?

An expired passport is not a dead end. In most cases you can still renew it, as long as it has not been expired too long. The key date is not the expiration date alone; it is the issue date printed on your passport's data page. This guide explains the time windows for online and mail renewal and when you must start over in person, based on State Department pages checked on October 7, 2026.

The rules in plain terms

The State Department uses slightly different wording for each renewal method:

• Online: the passport you are renewing is, or was, valid for 10 years, and it must be expiring within 1 year or have expired less than 5 years ago. You must also be 25 or older and meet the other online rules.
• By mail with Form DS-82: your passport was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were 16 or older, and was valid for 10 years.

For an adult passport valid for 10 years, "issued within the last 15 years" and "expired less than 5 years ago" describe the same window. Ten years of validity plus five years after expiration equals fifteen years from the issue date.

What counts as the issue date

Open your passport to the photo page. You will see a "Date of issue" and a "Date of expiration." For mail renewal, check that the date of issue is less than 15 years before the day you apply. For online renewal, check that the expiration date is less than 5 years in the past on the day you submit.

If you are close to either line, do not cut it fine. A mailed application takes time to arrive, and the State Department's intake facility lists "most recent passport issued over 15 years ago" among the reasons it sends renewal applications back.

Your options by how long ago it expired

Not sure which route your situation points to? The online renewal eligibility checklist covers every online condition, and online vs mail renewal compares the two.

When you must apply in person with Form DS-11

The State Department says you cannot renew, and must apply again in person, if your passport was issued more than 15 years ago, if your previous passport was not fully valid for 10 years, if it was issued for a child under 16, or if it was lost or stolen. A damaged passport, beyond normal wear and tear, also sends you to Form DS-11.

Applying in person means:

• Going to an acceptance facility, such as many post offices, libraries and local government offices.
• Bringing evidence of U.S. citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate. Your expired passport may also serve as proof of citizenship; the State Department says previous passports can be used as proof of citizenship even when expired, though a damaged one may not be accepted.
• Bringing a valid photo ID and a photocopy.
• Paying the application fee to the State Department ($130 for an adult book as of October 7, 2026) plus a $35 acceptance fee to the facility.
• Bringing one 2 x 2 inch photo.

Can you travel on an expired passport?

For international travel, plan on no. An expired passport is not valid for international travel, and many countries also require that your passport be valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip. The State Department notes that some airlines will not let you board if you do not meet the destination's validity rule. If you have travel coming up, check current passport renewal processing times and apply early.

The photo: why an old one will not work

When you renew after a gap of several years, one of the most common mistakes is reaching for an old photo, or reusing the picture from the expired passport. Every renewal photo must be taken within the last 6 months and show what you look like now. The online renewal rules also say you cannot scan a physical photo or take a picture of a printed photo to create the digital file. Our guide on reusing an old passport photo explains why these get rejected.

If your appearance changed a lot since your last passport, that is fine, as long as the photo is recent and meets the rules: plain white or off-white background, no shadows, no glasses, eyes open, neutral expression or natural smile without showing teeth, and no filters. Check it with our free passport photo checker before you submit.

Step-by-step: renewing an expired passport

1. Find the issue and expiration dates on your passport's data page.
2. If it expired 5 or more years ago, or was issued before age 16, prepare a DS-11 application and visit an acceptance facility.
3. If it expired less than 5 years ago and you are 25 or older, with no name change and no travel for at least 6 weeks, renew online at opr.travel.state.gov.
4. Otherwise, renew by mail with Form DS-82, your expired passport, one 2 x 2 photo and a check or money order.
5. Get a new photo taken within the last 6 months.
6. Track your application by email or with the State Department's online status tool.

Plan your timing

An expired passport usually means you are not in a rush, which is the best time to renew. Use that to your advantage. Routine processing is listed at 4 to 6 weeks as of October 7, 2026, with mailing time on top, and the State Department says its quietest months are October through December. If you renew now instead of waiting for a trip, you avoid paying $60 for expedited service and you have time to fix any problem, such as a photo that needs to be retaken, without stress. If a trip is already booked inside 6 weeks, renew by mail with expedited service, because online renewals cannot be expedited when you submit.

What happens to the expired passport

If you renew by mail, you send the expired passport with your application, and the State Department returns it separately; it says this can take up to 4 weeks after your new passport arrives. If you renew online, you keep it and do not mail it. Either way, hold on to it. An old passport is a useful record of your citizenship.