To renew a U.S. passport, most eligible citizens can renew online or by mail. Online renewal is available if your most recent passport was issued when you were at least 16 years old, within the last 15 years, and meets other criteria such as not being significantly damaged. If you need your passport urgently (in less than 3 weeks), you must make an appointment to renew it in person at a passport agency or center. Otherwise, routine renewals can be done online or by mail. You cannot renew a passport in person at USPS locations; they accept only first-time passport applications and photo services. Renewal by mail requires sending Form DS-82 along with your most recent passport and supporting documents. To summarize:
- Renew online via the U.S. Department of State's MyTravelGov website if eligible.
- Renew by mail by sending the renewal application (Form DS-82) and current passport to the appropriate address.
- If travel is imminent (less than 3 weeks), renew in person at a passport agency by appointment.
This applies to adult passports. Children under 16 cannot renew by mail or online and must apply in person.
