How to Check Your Passport Renewal Status

Once your renewal is submitted, the waiting begins. The State Department gives you two ways to follow along: status emails and an online status tool. This guide explains how to use both, what every status means, how long it takes for your application to appear, and what a photo problem looks like in your status. It is based on the State Department's application status pages as checked on October 7, 2026.

How to check your status

By email

If you gave an email address on your application, the State Department sends you updates automatically. Online renewal applicants always get them: when the application is in process, when it is approved, and when your passport is mailed. Check your spam or junk folder if nothing arrives. You can change the email address for updates or unsubscribe through the link in the emails.

Online, with the status tool

If you did not include an email or opted out, use the State Department's online passport status system at passportstatus.state.gov. You need:

• Your last name, including any suffix such as Jr. or III.
• Your date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY).
• The last 4 digits of your Social Security number.

If your name has a hyphen or apostrophe, try it with and without the symbol, and with a space, if your status does not appear the first time.

By phone

Call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778, or 888-874-7793 for TDD/TTY. Calling makes sense if you need your passport sooner, your mailing address changed while your application is processing, your passport was mailed more than 2 weeks ago but has not arrived, or your status cannot be found after more than 2 weeks.

What each status means

The State Department notes that if your status says something other than these options, it may need more information before it can process your application.

How long before your status shows up

For mail renewals, the State Department says it can take up to 2 weeks from the day you apply until your status shows "In Process." During that time your application is delivered to a mail sorting facility, then to an intake facility where your check is cashed and your details are entered, and then to a passport agency or center.

Two practical clues:

• If more than 2 weeks have passed and your check has not been cashed, your application probably has not arrived. Use your USPS tracking number to find it.
• If more than 2 weeks have passed and your check has been cashed, but you have no status or email, there may be an error on your application. Call 877-487-2778.

Online renewals skip the mail leg, so updates arrive by email once your application is in the system. The first two digits of your 9-digit application locator number show which office has it; the State Department lists 96 as Online Passport Renewal.

What a photo problem looks like

The State Department says unacceptable photos are the number one reason it puts passport applications on hold. In your status, a photo problem does not show up as a separate "photo" status. It appears as Additional Information Needed, together with a letter or email that explains what is wrong and what to send.

Here is what to do:

1. Read the letter or email carefully. It explains the issue and may include an illustration of the required photo size.
2. Take a new photo that fixes the specific problem, such as shadows, background, glasses, head size or blur.
3. Send it the way the notice says. Mail goes to the Sterling, VA address on your letter, not to a passport agency's physical address. Some notices allow a reply by email.
4. Respond within 90 days of the date on the notice. Your application stays on hold until you do.
5. Watch for "Information Received, In Process Again."

Our step-by-step guide to a photo rejected during online renewal covers this in detail, and the passport photo rejection guide lists the most common causes.

Before you send a replacement, check it with our free passport photo checker so you do not end up with a second notice.

Mail renewal returned to you

Sometimes a DS-82 comes back without ever reaching "In Process." The State Department says if your renewal is missing your passport, signature or payment, it may return the application to you to fix. You should get it back within 1 to 2 weeks after it was delivered. Common reasons listed by the State Department include a missing signature or date, a missing or bad photo, missing pages, wrong or missing fees, a missing passport, or a passport issued over 15 years ago. Include the letter you received when you resend.

When to worry, and when not to

• Still "In Process" within the published range? That is normal. As of October 7, 2026, the State Department lists 4 to 6 weeks for routine and 2 to 3 weeks for expedited, not counting mail. See passport renewal processing times.
• Trip coming up and still in process? Call 877-487-2778. You can ask about expedited service or 1 to 3-day delivery. More options in expedited passport renewal.
• Passport mailed over 2 weeks ago but not received? Call. You may need to complete Form DS-86 within 120 days of the date your passport was issued; after that, by law, you must reapply and pay all fees again.
• New passport arrived but not your old one? Supporting documents come separately and can take up to 4 weeks. If more than 4 weeks have passed, call to report it. To be reimbursed for a lost supporting document, you must contact the State Department within 90 days of the date your passport was mailed.

Beware of look-alike status sites

The State Department warns that websites ending in .com, .org or .us can look official but are private companies. Check your status only through the State Department's own tool or emails, and never pay a third party to "check" it for you.