If you seek your first passport, you must apply in person. After that, you can renew by mail, provided you meet specified conditions. You will need to include your most recent passport, which must have been issued within the past 15 years. You must have been at least 16 years old when that passport was issued. If your name has changed, you must provide documentary proof.
Instructions
Completing and mailing form DS-82 and enclosures
1. Obtain form DS-82 from a travel or government website or from a passport acceptance facility, which may be a post office, public library, or a government office. Locate the closest passport acceptance facility through the search feature at travel.state.gov. Form DS-82 includes detailed instructions for completing and mailing the application.
2. Decide whether to fill out the option for a U.S. Passport Book or for a U.S. Passport Card. The Passport Book is embedded with an electronic chip that contains duplicate data page information for additional security. The Passport Card is for international travel by land or sea (not by air) between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
3. Fill out the two pages of questions, which include name, date of birth, gender, place of birth, Social Security number, mailing address, contact telephone number and email address (optional). You'll also be asked about your height; hair and eye color; existing passport; and name change information. Remember to sign the application.
4. With the completed and signed application, enclose two color photographs (2 by 2 inches each) taken within the past six months. Further photo specifications are spelled out on the form.
5. Include the current passport fee with the application. Enclose a personal check or money order payable to the "Department of State." Type or print the full name and date of birth of the applicant on the front of the check. The form specifies that a check will be converted into an electronic funds transfer (EFT). Do not send cash.
6. Mail the completed application and the required enclosures to the National Passport Processing Center, Post Office Box 90155, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155. Expedited service is available for an additional fee.
