What is the Passport Form DS 82 For?
By Tim Zimmer; Updated June 08, 2017What's the DS-82 for and more passport questions, answered
Renewing your passport can be a long and arduous process. When dealing with the paperwork, fees, lines and other hurdles, it's best to know when your passport expires and how to renew it. In order to renew your passport or passport card, you must submit a DS-82 form with other documentation, such as a recent photograph and your old passport.
What is a DS-82 form?
The DS-82 form is an application for renewing your passport via mail. You can expect to pay a $110 application fee for your renewed passport or a $30 application fee for your renewed passport card (a less expensive alternative that you can use to re-enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda). Processing times vary by location, but you can expect to have your renewed passport/passport card on your doorstep within six to eight weeks. If you choose to expedite, expect to have your passport within two to three weeks.
Who can use a DS-82 form?
Any U.S. citizen age 16 years and older can use a DS-82 form to renew a passport or passport card. However, some restrictions apply. You can submit a DS-82 form only if your most recent passport:
- Is submitted with your passport renewal application
- Isn't damaged beyond the "wear and tear" of normal use
- Was issued when you were an adult
- Was issued within the last 15 years
- Was issued in your name (if your name has changed, you must include a copy of your marriage certificate or court order)
If you don't fulfill all of the statements above, you have to apply in person using a DS-11 form at a passport acceptance facility (most often, a post office that provides passport services). However, be prepared for wait times and a more expensive renewal fee. Expect to pay a $135 application fee for your renewed passport or a $55 fee for your renewed passport card.
How can I complete a DS-82 form online?
You can fill out a DS-82 form by either printing it out or using an online "form filler" at the Department of State's Passport and International Travel website. If choosing to "form fill" your document online, you must first review the Department of State's privacy notices and disclaimers. Once you've reviewed the disclaimer, you'll be taken to the Department's Online Passport Application domain to fill in your application. You can expect the process to take around an hour.
Where do I mail my DS-82 form?
See the section labeled "Where Do I Mail This Application?" in the opening pages of the form. The address to which you mail your form depends on where you live, so pay particularly close attention to the instructions. There's a separate address to ship your documents if you'd like to expedite your passport renewal application.
I mailed my application! What happens now?
Did you remember to mail your application with the United States Postal Service (USPS) and use a trackable delivery method? If so, then you can sit back, relax, and wait for your renewed passport to be delivered to your doorstep. Your hard work has paid off.