How Do You Change or Correct a U.S. Passport?

The change or correct rule in one table

| Name change, both conditions | Less than 1 year since BOTH the passport was issued AND the name was legally changed: Form DS-5504, by mail, no fee | | Name change, more than 1 year | More than 1 year since either issuance or the legal name change: renew by mail if eligible, else apply in person with DS-11 | | Data or printing error | Correct a passport with a data error (name, sex, or place of birth) or a printing error (discoloration, crooked printing, missing data on the biographical page). Corrected at no charge if the passport is still valid | | Error validity clock | Error reported within 1 year of issuance: new passport valid 10 years for adults, 5 years for under 16. Reported after 1 year: valid only until the original incorrect passport's expiration date | | Limited-validity replacement | Less than 1 year since issue: Form DS-5504 by mail, no fee unless expedited service is wanted. More than 1 year: Form DS-11 in person, with passport fees | | Mail route | Form DS-5504 by mail, with the mailing instructions on the form. The page gives no separate routine and expedited mailing addresses |

What makes change or correct different

Three forms look alike from a distance, and this page exists to keep them apart. DS-5504 corrects. DS-82 renews. DS-11 applies in person. DS-5504 runs by mail with no acceptance fee and, for the tracks on this page, no application fee. DS-82 runs by mail with the application fee only. DS-11 runs in person with both fees. A merged update-passport page would misstate the fees and the routing for all three.

The second difference is the both-conditions test for name changes. DS-5504 covers a name change only when less than 1 year has passed since BOTH the passport was issued and the name was legally changed. More than 1 year since either one moves the case to renewal by mail or to an in-person DS-11 application. The 1-year clock runs from the issue date and the name-change date together, not from one alone.

The process, step by step

1. Name change within both 1-year windows: mail Form DS-5504 with the most recent U.S. passport, the original or certified name-change document (marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order), and 1 passport photo. No fees. Expedited processing adds 60 dollars.
2. Name change past either 1-year window: renew by mail if eligible, with the certified name-change document, or apply in person with Form DS-11, a valid ID in the new name, and marriage details on page 2 of the form.
3. Data or printing error: mail Form DS-5504 with the current passport, 1 color passport photo, and evidence of the error, such as a U.S. birth certificate showing the correct spelling of the last name. No fees. The validity clock in the table applies to errors.
4. Limited-validity passport, issued less than 1 year ago: mail Form DS-5504 with the limited passport, 1 passport photo, and the same supporting documents used for the limited passport, such as the original notarized consent form or name-change documents. No fee unless expedited service is wanted. Issued more than 1 year ago: apply in person with Form DS-11, the limited passport, a valid ID with a photocopy, 1 photo, and the same or new supporting documents, plus passport fees.
5. A printing-error photo goes through DS-5504 at no cost. A correctly printed photo update goes through DS-82 if eligible, at normal fees. No update is needed to a current passport after moving. An address change on an in-process application goes through 877-487-2778.

The replacement validity for name changes is not stated on the State page, so this page claims no 10-year replacement for the name-change track. The error-track expedited fee is likewise not stated on the page, so no expedited fee is claimed for error corrections.

Related passport guides

A renewal after a name change more than 1 year back runs through the renewal track. A first application in a new name runs through the first-time track. For every passport track side by side, see the U.S. Passport Guides by Situation directory.

Source

The name-change test, the error track, the validity clock, and the submit lists on this page come from the U.S. Department of State: the Change or Correct a Passport page and the Passport Services FAQ. The limited-validity replacement steps come from the State Replace a Limited-Validity Passport page. Facts verified 2026-10-27.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to a lawyer or your government agency.