How to Correct a Name, Birthplace or Printing Error on a U.S. Passport

What passport errors can you correct with Form DS-5504?

The U.S. Department of State allows you to request correction of a data error or printing error on a valid passport. Its current guidance specifically lists an incorrect name, sex or place of birth as examples of data errors.

Printing problems can include discoloration, crooked printing or missing data on the passport's biographical page. A photo that was printed incorrectly can also be corrected using Form DS-5504.

This process is appropriate when the passport itself contains incorrect information or a production problem. It is not the process for replacing a passport you lost or had stolen. For that situation, follow the separate procedure for replacing a lost or stolen U.S. passport.

What do you need to send with Form DS-5504?

For a data or printing error, Passport Services instructs applicants to submit the following by mail:

• Form DS-5504;
• your current passport;
• one color passport photo; and
• evidence of the error when correcting incorrect data.

The evidence should establish what the passport should say. The Department of State gives a U.S. birth certificate showing the correct spelling of a last name as an example. If the error involves information supported by your birth record, you may need the appropriate vital record as evidence. If you need to obtain that record first, see how to get a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate.

Can you correct a U.S. passport online?

No. The Department of State's procedure for correcting a data or printing error with Form DS-5504 requires the application package to be submitted by mail. Follow the current mailing instructions associated with Form DS-5504.

The Department of State's electronic forms system identifies DS-5504 as the application for a U.S. passport name change, data correction and limited passport book replacement. Completing passport form information electronically does not turn this correction into an online passport application; the required passport and supporting materials must be submitted through the prescribed mail process.

How much does it cost to correct the error?

The passport fee for correcting an eligible data or printing error is $0. Passport Services states that it will correct the error at no charge when the passport is still valid.

If you choose optional expedited service, the current additional fee is $60. The no-fee rule applies to correcting the eligible error itself; optional faster services can have separate charges.

How long does a passport correction take?

The Department of State currently publishes passport processing times of 4-6 weeks for routine service and 2-3 weeks for expedited service. These are processing times at a passport agency or center, not total door-to-door delivery times.

The Department also advises that an application can take up to two weeks to reach a passport agency or center and that receiving the completed passport after it is mailed can take up to another two weeks. Processing time plus mailing time is therefore the relevant total when planning travel.

For a DS-5504 application specifically, the Department's application-status guidance states that it may take about two weeks after you apply for the status to change to In Process.

Will the corrected passport get a new expiration date?

It depends on how soon you report the error. If you report the data or printing error within one year of issuance of the incorrect passport, the Department of State says the corrected passport will be valid for 10 years for an adult and 5 years for a child under age 16.

If you report the error more than one year after issuance, the corrected passport will be valid only until the expiration date of the original incorrect passport. Correcting the error after the first year therefore does not restart the passport's validity period.

Is a wrong name the same as a legal name change?

No. The correct procedure depends on why the name on the passport needs to change.

If the Department of State printed or recorded your name incorrectly, it is a data-error correction. You can use Form DS-5504 with your current valid passport, a color photo and evidence showing the correct information, and there is no correction fee.

If your passport was correct when issued but your legal name later changed because of marriage, divorce or a court order, you are requesting a legal name change, not correcting a government error.

What if your legal name changed recently?

If both your passport was issued and your legal name changed less than one year ago, the Department of State instructs you to submit Form DS-5504 by mail with your most recent passport, one passport photo and an original or certified document showing the legal name change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order. There is no passport fee for this service, although optional expedited service costs $60.

What if the legal name change was more than one year ago?

If more than one year has passed since either the passport was issued or the legal name changed, the Department of State says you may be eligible to renew by mail. If you are not eligible for mail renewal, you can apply in person. A mail renewal requires a certified copy of the legal name-change document.

If this is your situation rather than a passport error, review the separate procedure for renewing a U.S. passport when eligible; the correction procedure on this page should not be used simply to avoid the normal renewal rules.

What should you submit for an incorrect place of birth?

The Department of State expressly identifies an incorrect place of birth as a passport data error. For a valid passport, use Form DS-5504 and submit your current passport, one color photo and evidence demonstrating the correct information.

The exact supporting record depends on the information being corrected. Use a document that establishes the correct data rather than altering or annotating the passport yourself. Passport Services may contact you if additional information is needed to complete the correction.

How do you track the corrected passport?

After mailing Form DS-5504, you can use the Department of State's passport application status system. A DS-5504 request may take about two weeks to appear as In Process.

The Department uses statuses including In Process, Approved and Passport Mailed. When a passport book is mailed, the Passport Mailed status includes tracking information. Supporting documents, such as a previous passport or birth certificate, are returned separately and can arrive up to four weeks after the passport book or card.

When you receive the corrected passport, compare the name, date and place of birth and other biographical information with your supporting records before traveling. If you later need a normal renewal rather than another correction, use the applicable passport renewal process.

When should you not use this correction process?

Do not treat every passport replacement as a DS-5504 data correction. Use the procedure that matches the actual problem:

• If the passport was lost or stolen, use the lost-or-stolen passport reporting and replacement process rather than mailing a passport you no longer possess.
• If the passport information was correct when issued and your legal name later changed, follow the Department of State's name-change rules based on when the passport and name change occurred.
• If you simply dislike a correctly printed passport photo, Passport Services says you may use Form DS-82 if eligible and must pay the normal fees; the no-fee DS-5504 rule applies when the photo itself has a printing error.
• If you need an ordinary renewal of an eligible passport, use the renewal procedure rather than claiming a data error.