Passport Name Change: DS-5504 vs. DS-82 vs. DS-11 Explained
Short answer
The form depends on timing and your documents. Passport issued less than one year ago? Use Form DS-5504 — the change is free. Issued more than a year ago and you qualify for mail renewal? Use Form DS-82 with your certified name-change document. No certified document, or not eligible for DS-82? Apply in person on Form DS-11.
Passport issued less than one year ago: DS-5504
If your most recent passport was issued less than one year ago, Form DS-5504 corrects or changes your name at no cost for routine service. Mail the form, your current passport, a certified original of your marriage certificate or court order, and one new photo.
This is the cheapest path — but the one-year window is strict. Check the issue date inside your passport before choosing this route.
Passport issued more than one year ago: DS-82
If your passport is older than one year and you otherwise qualify for mail renewal — undamaged, issued at 16 or older, within the last 15 years, and in your possession — renew on Form DS-82 and enclose the certified name-change document. You pay the standard renewal fee.
Your new passport arrives in your new name, and your name-change document is mailed back separately.
When you must use DS-11 in person
Apply in person on Form DS-11 if you cannot document the name change with a certified original, if your passport was lost or damaged, or if you do not meet DS-82 eligibility. Bring your citizenship evidence, ID in your new name if you have it, and the certified name-change document when available.
In-person applications also require the execution fee paid to the acceptance facility on top of the application fee — our fees guide has the breakdown.
Documents that prove the change
The Department of State accepts certified originals of: a marriage certificate, a divorce decree that restores a prior name, or a court-ordered name change. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.
If the name on your ID does not yet match your new legal name, our identification guide explains what supplemental documents to bring so the acceptance agent can connect the dots.
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.