Prepare Your Passport Renewal (DS-82) Online

What this guide is — and is not

This is a preparation guide for renewing your U.S. passport by mail using Form DS-82, not the application itself. The official DS-82 is available free from the U.S. Department of State at travel.state.gov, where you can also renew fully online if you qualify. No private company can renew your passport for you. What we provide is a worksheet that gets every answer, document, and detail in order before you tackle the real form — so the State Department doesn't mail your application back over a fixable mistake.

Do you qualify for DS-82 renewal by mail?

Form DS-82 is only for renewals that meet all the conditions: your most recent passport is undamaged and in your possession, was issued when you were 16 or older, was issued within the last 15 years, and is in your current name (or you can document the name change). If any condition fails — a lost passport, a first-time application, a child's passport — you'll need Form DS-11 and an in-person appearance instead. This guide's first section walks you through that eligibility check.

What you'll organize with this worksheet

Beyond the eligibility checklist, the guide collects your personal details exactly as the DS-82 asks for them, your travel plans, your most recent passport's number and issue date, photo requirements (2x2 inches, white background, taken within six months, no glasses), current government fees, and the mailing instructions — including the recommendation to use trackable mail, since you're sending your old passport with the application.

From worksheet to renewed passport

Complete the worksheet in your browser and download it, then fill out the official DS-82 at travel.state.gov, attach your photo and check for the government fee, and mail the packet as instructed. Routine processing times vary through the year, so apply well ahead of any planned travel.