How to change the name on your passport
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Short answer
If your passport was issued less than one year ago, use Form DS-5504 and there is no application fee; otherwise use the normal renewal route (DS-82 by mail if you qualify, DS-11 in person if you do not) and pay the standard fees.
Key takeaways
- DS-5504 is the free correction/name-change form for passports issued within the last year.
- You must submit certified proof of the name change — marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.
- Photocopies are not accepted for the name-change document; send a certified original, which is returned.
- A new photo is required with every name-change application.
Within one year of issuance
Submit Form DS-5504, your current passport, a certified copy of the legal name-change document, and one new photo. There is no application fee, though expedited service and fast return delivery remain optional paid add-ons.
More than one year after issuance
Use Form DS-82 by mail if you meet all the renewal conditions, including submitting your certified name-change document. The standard $130 book fee applies.
If you do not qualify for DS-82 — for example the passport is older than 15 years or was issued before you turned 16 — apply in person on DS-11.
If you cannot document the change
When you have used a new name for years without a court order or marriage certificate, you apply in person on DS-11 with public records evidence of the name's use over time.
Ask the acceptance agent what evidence they can accept before your appointment.