Change the name on your U.S. passport or fix an error

Recent passport and recent name change

If less than 1 year has passed since both your passport was issued and your name legally changed, mail Form DS-5504 with your most recent passport, the original or certified name change document and one photo.³

The government charges no fee¹ for this with routine service. Expedited service costs $60⁴ extra.

Where to mail Form DS-5504 for routine service:

National Passport Processing CenterPost Office Box 90107Philadelphia, PA 19190-0107⁵

Where to mail Form DS-5504 for expedited service:

National Passport Processing CenterPost Office Box 90907Philadelphia, PA 19190-0907⁶

More time has passed

After more than 1 year, renew by mail with a certified copy of the name change document if you qualify; otherwise apply in person with Form DS-11.⁷

To renew by mail, follow Renew your passport by mail and add a certified copy of your name change document. If even one condition is not true, you apply in person: First adult passport explains how Form DS-11 works.

No legal document for your new name

Without a court order, divorce decree or marriage certificate, apply in person with Form DS-11 and Form DS-60, completed by 2 people who have known you by both names, plus 3 public records showing you used the new name for 5 years or more.⁹

This route takes more preparation than the others. If your situation is unusual, check the official source before you start.

Fixing a data or printing error

To fix an error in your name, sex or place of birth, or a printing defect, mail Form DS-5504 with the passport, one photo and evidence of the error. Reported within 1 year, the new passport gets full validity; after that, it keeps the original expiration date.¹⁰

The government charges no fee² to correct it while your passport is still valid. Form DS-5504 goes to the same addresses shown above.

Step by step

Checklist

What goes in a Form DS-5504 envelope

Print checklist

• Form DS-5504, filled in and signed
• Your most recent passport
• For a name change: the original or a certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order
• For a data or printing error: evidence of the error
• One passport photo that meets the official rules
• Check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of State", only if you choose expedited service

Do and don't

Do

• Send the original or a certified copy of your name change document. It comes back to you separately.
• Use the address that matches the service you chose.
• Keep a copy of everything you send and the tracking number.

Don't

• Don't send a plain photocopy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order.
• Don't put off a Form DS-5504 change if you qualify now: later, it takes a renewal or a new application, with the usual fees.
• Don't mail Form DS-11. You hand it in, unsigned, at an acceptance facility.

Fees

These are government fees. They are paid to the U.S. Department of State and, for Form DS-11 only, to the acceptance facility. They are not paid 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.¹³

All government fees are in Passport fees.

How long it takes

• Routine processing: 4–6 weeks¹⁴.
• Expedited processing: 2–3 weeks¹⁵.
• Mailing can add up to 2 weeks¹⁶ each way.
• Your old passport and name change document come back up to 4 weeks¹⁷ after the new passport.

Traveling soon? Read Urgent travel: getting a passport fast.

Frequently asked questions