Lost or stolen U.S. passport: report it and replace it

Report it first

Report a valid lost or stolen passport right away: online (cancelled within 1 business day), by mail with Form DS-64, or together with a new Form DS-11. Reporting does not replace it, and a reported passport cannot be used even if found. Do not report an expired passport.³

You have three ways to report it:

• Online, on the official State Department website.
• By mail with Form DS-64, if you are only reporting it for now. Include a copy of the front and back of your photo ID.
• With your new application, if you are applying for a new passport now: you report it together with Form DS-11 at the acceptance facility.

Form DS-64 goes to this address (for the report only, not for applications):

ATTN: CLASPU.S. Department of State44132 Mercure CirP.O. Box 1227Sterling, VA 20166-1227⁴

Reporting cancels the passport, but it does not replace it. To travel, you need a new one.

Why you apply in person

A lost or stolen passport is on that list, even if you could renew by mail before. Acceptance facilities are often post offices, libraries or local government offices. Find one near you with the official search: iafdb.travel.state.gov⁶.

What to bring

On Form DS-11, describe where and when the passport was lost or stolen and include a copy of the police report if you filed one; missing details can pause the application.⁸ Do not sign Form DS-11 until the acceptance agent asks you to; the agent gives you an oath and watches you sign.⁹

Not sure about the photo? Read Passport photo requirements.

Step by step

Checklist

What to bring to the acceptance facility

Print checklist

• Form DS-11, printed single-sided and not signed
• Where and when the passport was lost or stolen, written down
• A copy of the police report, if you filed one
• Original proof of U.S. citizenship and a photocopy
• Photo ID and a front-and-back photocopy
• One passport photo, not stapled
• Check or money order for the application fee, payable to "U.S. Department of State"
• Separate payment for the acceptance fee
• Form DS-64, if you are reporting the loss at the same time

Do and don't

Do

• Report a valid passport as soon as you notice it is missing.
• Keep proof of your report and a copy of any police report.
• Keep copies of everything you hand in.

Don't

• Don't travel with a passport you reported, even if it turns up later.
• Don't report a passport that had already expired.
• Don't try to replace a lost or stolen passport with a mail renewal (Form DS-82).
• Don't sign Form DS-11 before the acceptance agent asks you to.

Fees

These are government fees. They are paid to the U.S. Department of State and to the acceptance facility, not to Passmere.

By mail or at an acceptance facility, pay the application fee with a check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of State", with the applicant's name and date of birth in the memo. The acceptance fee is paid separately to the facility. Online renewals are paid by credit or debit card.¹⁵ The application fee and the acceptance fee are not refunded, even if no passport is issued. Only the $60 expedite fee can be refunded when expedited service was not delivered on time.¹⁶

All government fees, including those for children, are in Passport fees.

How long it takes

• Routine processing: 4–6 weeks¹⁷.
• Expedited processing: 2–3 weeks¹⁸.
• Mailing can add up to 2 weeks¹⁹ each way.
• Your proof of citizenship comes back up to 4 weeks²⁰ after the new passport.

If you travel internationally soon, you can book an appointment at a passport agency or center once you are within 14 calendar days of your trip, or 28 days if you also need a foreign visa.²¹

To learn how to ask for that appointment, read Urgent travel: getting a passport fast.

Frequently asked questions