Passport Name Change & Replacement Checker

Changing the name on your passport is free with Form DS-5504 if your passport was issued and your name changed less than a year ago. After that, renew by mail with Form DS-82 ($130) or apply in person with Form DS-11 ($165). A lost or stolen passport is reported, then replaced in person with Form DS-11: $165 per adult.

How to use it

Pick what happened and whose passport it is. For a name change, type the day your passport was issued (on its photo page) and the day your name legally changed; for a printing error, the issue date. The answer names the form, how to send it, the fee, and what the new passport will be valid for, with the State Department’s own sentences as the steps. Tick expedited service to add its $60.

The forms at a glance

The fees are the law’s (22 CFR 22.1, the same as the passport fee calculator): an adult book is $130 by mail, $165 in person with the $35 execution fee; a child’s is $100 + $35. Expedited service adds $60 to any of them, a free DS-5504 included: “If you want expedited processing, you will have to pay a $60 fee.”

A name change after marriage or divorce

The State Department splits it at one year. “It’s been less than 1 year since both your passport was issued and your name was legally changed”: send Form DS-5504 by mail with your passport, one photo and the document (“Examples include a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.”), and “You will not have to submit any fees for this service.” Once “It’s been more than 1 year since either your passport was issued or your name was legally changed”, “You may be eligible to renew your passport by mail.” — and “To renew by mail, you must provide a certified copy of your legal name change document.” Without a legal document at all, apply in person with Form DS-11 and Form DS-60: “This form must be completed by 2 people who have known you by both names.” “You must also submit 3 certified or original public records that show you have used the new name for 5 years or more.”

Lost, stolen, damaged or never arrived

“Report your valid U.S. passport lost or stolen immediately to protect yourself from identity theft.” “The fastest way is to visit our Online Form Filler to report your passport lost or stolen.” — “We will cancel your passport within 1 business day and send you a confirmation email.” But “Reporting your passport lost or stolen does not replace it.” and “You must apply in person again if you want a replacement passport.” Once reported, “It will no longer be valid for travel even if you find it later.” A damaged passport cannot be renewed by mail either (renewing needs “Your passport is not damaged, other than normal wear and tear.”). One that never arrived is a phone call if it is recent: “You must complete this form within 120 days of the date we issued your passport.” “After 120 days, you must reapply and pay all fees, by law.” Abroad, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate replaces it instead.

Worked examples

Married in June, passport from last November. Passport issued November 10, 2025, name changed June 20, 2026. Applying October 1, 2026, both are under a year old: Form DS-5504 by mail, no fee, and a full 10-year passport. Wait until December 1, 2026 and the passport is over a year old: Form DS-82 by mail, $130.

A misspelled name, found two years on. Issued May 1, 2024: Form DS-5504, no fee, and “If you are reporting the error after 1 year, the new passport will be valid until the expiration date of your original, incorrect passport.”

Lost a month before a trip. Report it online, then Form DS-11 in person with expedited service: $130 + $60 + $35 = $225.

Common mistakes

• Waiting past the year. The free DS-5504 needs both the passport and the name change under a year old; a day past either and it is a paid renewal.
• Booking tickets in the new name first. The name on your ticket has to match the passport you travel with.
• Using the lost passport after reporting it. Once reported it is cancelled, even if it turns up.
• Reporting an expired one. “Do not report an expired passport as lost or stolen.”
• Renewing a child’s passport by mail. Children under 16 always apply in person.

Plan the trip

Travelling abroad when it goes missing? Read what to do if you lose your passport abroad. Then check that the new passport is valid long enough for your trip and how long it takes, and read International Travel Tips for First-Timers. Some Caribbean islands need no passport if yours will not arrive in time.