Lost Your Passport Right Before a Trip? The Step-by-Step Replacement Plan
Short answer
Report the loss immediately on Form DS-64 (online takes minutes), then apply for a replacement in person on Form DS-11 — a lost passport can never be renewed by mail. With travel within 14 days, book a regional passport agency appointment and bring proof of travel; with more time, use expedited service at any acceptance facility.
Step 1: Report it on Form DS-64
Reporting a passport lost or stolen invalidates it immediately — it can never be used again, even if you find it later. You can report online, by phone, or by submitting Form DS-64 with your replacement application.
If there is any chance the passport will turn up in a day of searching, spend one day looking first. The moment you report it, that passport is dead forever.
Step 2: Apply in person on DS-11
A replacement for a lost or stolen passport is always an in-person DS-11 application: citizenship evidence, photo ID, one photo, the DS-64 (if not already submitted online), and both the application and execution fees.
Gather documents fast — your certified birth certificate and driver's license are the usual pair. Our document checklist tool builds the exact list for a replacement application.
Step 3: Match the speed to your departure date
Travel within 14 calendar days: book a regional passport agency appointment through the National Passport Information Center and bring proof of imminent travel. Agencies can issue passports on very short timelines, sometimes the same day.
Travel within a few weeks: expedited service plus 1–2 day return delivery is usually enough. Traveling soon with no agency appointment available? A registered courier can hand-carry the application for you.
If it happens abroad
Lose the passport overseas and the process moves to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, which can issue an emergency limited-validity passport so you can get home. Report the loss to local police too — some countries ask for the report.
Our embassy directory lists every U.S. embassy and consulate with contact details and passport-service notes.
PassportOffices is an independent resource, not a government website. Rules, fees, and processing times change — always confirm details at travel.state.gov before you travel.