Change or Correct a Passport

Printing Errors and Spelling Errors

Printing errors and spelling errors, including incorrect name, gender, or place of birth, can be corrected at no charge at any time while the passport is still valid.

• If reported within one year of issuance, a new, corrected passport will be issued, which will be valid for 10 years from the date the new, correct book is issued.
• If reported after one year of issuance, the new, corrected passport will be valid until the expiration date of the original, incorrect passport.

The requirements for replacement passports apply for both adults and minors.

To correct a printing or spelling error in your passport:

• Mail Form DS-5504 with one color passport photo and evidence of the error.
• Print a blank Form DS-5504 and complete by hand; or use our online guide for step by step instructions.

Name Changes

If your name has legally changed through marriage, divorce, or a court ordered change of name, you will need to apply for a new passport. The process and cost depend on how long it has been since your passport was issued.

If less than one year has passed since your passport was issued:

• You will not have to pay any passport or processing fees, unless you request Expedited Service.
• Submit Form DS-5504 by mail with your current passport, your original or certified name change document (no photocopies or notarized copies), and a color passport photo. You may:
  • Use our online guide to fill out and print Form DS-5504; or
  • Print Form DS-5504 and complete by hand.

More than one year has passed since your passport was issued, and you are eligible to use Form DS-82*:

• Submit Form DS-82 by mail with your current passport, your original or certified name change document (no photocopies or notarized copies), a color passport photo, and all applicable fees. You may:
  
  • Use our online guide to fill out and print Form DS-82; or
  • Print Form DS-82 and complete by hand.

More than one year has passed since your passport was issued, and you are not eligible to use Form DS-82*:

• You must submit Form DS-11 in person at an Acceptance Facility or a Passport Agency, along with your evidence of U.S. citizenship, your original or certified name change document (no photocopies or notarized copies), a valid ID and photocopy of that ID, a color passport photo, and all applicable fees. You may:
  • Use our online guide to fill out and print Form DS-11; or
  • Print Form DS-11 and complete by hand.
• You will not need to provide proof of the name change if your name has changed due to a marriage and you have already been issued an ID in your new name. You must include the details of the marriage in the applicable section on Form DS-11.

If you have begun using a different name but cannot legally document the change with a court order, divorce decree, or marriage certificate, then:

• Submit Form DS-11 in person at an Acceptance Facility or a Passport Agency, along with your evidence of U.S. citizenship, a valid ID and photocopy of that ID, a color passport photo, and all applicable fees. You may:
  • Use our online guide to fill out and print Form DS-11; or
  • Print Form DS-11 and complete by hand.
• You must also present a valid ID issued in the name you currently use.
• You may also need to provide secondary identification evidence that you have been using the name for at least 5 years, if your ID is less than 5 years old.

*Form DS-82 Eligibility

You are eligible to use Form DS-82 only if:

• You can submit your most recently issued passport;
• You were at least 16 years old when your most recent passport was issued;
• Your most recent passport was issued less than 15 years ago;
• Your most recent passport has not been lost, stolen, damaged, or mutilated; and
• You use the same name as on your most recent passport, or have had your name changed by marriage or court order, and can submit proper documentation to reflect the name change.