How to Replace a Lost or Stolen U.S. Passport and Get a New One
Report a valid U.S. passport lost or stolen, cancel it, and apply in person for a replacement with Form DS-11. Check documents, fees and current processing times.
US United States
Documents & Identity ~ 11 min read
11 FAQ
Updated 2026-09-08
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If your valid U.S. passport is lost or stolen, report it to the U.S. Department of State immediately. The fastest reporting method is the State Department's online Form Filler; the Department says it will cancel the passport within 1 business day. Reporting the passport does not replace it. To get a new passport in the United States, you generally must apply in person using Form DS-11, provide evidence of U.S. citizenship, physical photo ID and photocopies, submit one compliant passport photo, and pay the applicable passport and $35 acceptance fees. For an adult age 16 or older, a replacement passport book costs $130 plus the $35 acceptance fee. Current processing is 4 to 6 weeks for routine service or 2 to 3 weeks for expedited service with an additional $60 fee, not including mailing time. A passport reported lost or stolen cannot be used again even if you later find it.
What you need
- Report the valid passport lost or stolen to the U.S. Department of State. Do not report an expired passport as lost or stolen.
- For replacement in the United States, complete Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport and apply in person.
- Provide acceptable evidence of U.S. citizenship and a photocopy. Examples of primary evidence include a qualifying U.S. birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship.
- Present a physical, government-issued photo ID and provide a photocopy of the front and back.
- Provide one color passport photo taken within the last 6 months that meets State Department requirements.
- Provide details on Form DS-11 about where and when the passport was lost or stolen. Include a copy of a police report if you filed one.
- Pay the required Department of State application fee and the $35 acceptance fee.
- Applicants under age 16 must also meet the separate parental relationship, parental consent and child-passport requirements.
Eligibility
A U.S. citizen whose valid U.S. passport book or passport card has been physically lost or stolen should report it immediately and may apply for a new passport. Once the State Department records the passport as lost or stolen, it is canceled and cannot be used for travel even if it is later recovered. A lost or stolen passport is not eligible for ordinary passport renewal; replacement generally requires an in-person Form DS-11 application. Applicants must still satisfy the standard citizenship, identity and age-specific requirements for issuance of a new passport.
How to do it
- Confirm that the missing passport is still valid. The State Department instructs people to report valid passports lost or stolen, not expired passports.
- Report it immediately. The fastest method is the State Department's online Form Filler. The Department says an online report normally results in cancellation within 1 business day and a confirmation email.
- Do not expect the report itself to replace the passport. Reporting and replacement are separate actions.
- Complete Form DS-11 for the new passport. Include information about your most recent lost or stolen passport and explain where and when it disappeared. Do not sign Form DS-11 until the acceptance agent instructs you to sign.
- Gather citizenship evidence. Bring an acceptable original or certified citizenship document and the required photocopy.
- Bring physical photo identification. Present an acceptable government-issued photo ID and a photocopy of its front and back.
- Get one compliant passport photo. It must be a recent color photo meeting current State Department specifications.
- Apply in person. Submit Form DS-11 and your supporting evidence at an authorized passport acceptance facility, passport agency or center as appropriate for your travel timing.
- Pay both required DS-11 fees. Adults age 16 or older currently pay $130 for a passport book plus the $35 acceptance fee; other passport products have different fees.
- Choose routine or expedited service. Routine processing is currently 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited processing is 2 to 3 weeks and costs an additional $60, excluding mailing time.
- Use urgent-travel procedures when necessary. Passport agencies accept appointments for qualifying urgent international travel within the next 14 days or when a foreign visa is needed within the next 28 days.
- Do not use the old passport if you recover it. Once reported lost or stolen, it remains invalid for international travel.
Report a valid lost or stolen passport immediately
The U.S. Department of State instructs you to report a valid U.S. passport lost or stolen immediately to protect against misuse and identity theft. Do not use the lost-passport process for a passport that was already expired.
Reporting the document causes the State Department to cancel it. Once canceled, the passport cannot be used for international travel even if you later recover it.
Online reporting is the fastest cancellation method
The State Department currently offers three ways to report a valid passport lost or stolen: online, by mail with Form DS-64, or while applying for a replacement with Form DS-11.
The online Form Filler is the fastest method. The Department says it will cancel the passport within 1 business day after an online report and send a confirmation email.
A mailed Form DS-64 takes longer because it may take several weeks for the report to reach the Department and for the passport to be canceled.
Reporting and replacing the passport are separate steps
Reporting a passport lost or stolen does not create a replacement passport. If you want a new passport, you must submit a new passport application.
For a lost or stolen passport in the United States, an adult generally must apply again in person using Form DS-11. A lost or stolen passport is therefore different from an ordinary renewal. If you still have an eligible passport and simply need to renew it, see the separate Helpydo guide on renewing a U.S. passport online when you meet the eligibility rules.
Use Form DS-11 for the replacement application
Complete Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport. The State Department instructs applicants with a lost or stolen passport to include information about the most recent passport and explain where and when it was lost or stolen.
If you need more space, include another sheet of paper. If you filed a police report, provide a copy with the application. If you leave out relevant loss or theft information, the Department may pause the application and ask you to submit Form DS-64.
Do not sign Form DS-11 before your appointment. Sign it only when the passport acceptance agent tells you to do so.
A police report is helpful but generally not mandatory
The State Department does not require a police report simply to replace every lost or stolen passport. If you did report the theft or loss to police, include a copy when completing the replacement application.
If the passport was stolen together with other identity documents, separate reports to local law enforcement, financial institutions or other agencies may also be appropriate depending on what was taken.
Bring evidence of U.S. citizenship
An in-person DS-11 application requires evidence of U.S. citizenship. Current primary evidence can include:
- A qualifying U.S. birth certificate.
- A full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport when available.
- A Consular Report of Birth Abroad or another qualifying Department of State birth document.
- A Certificate of Naturalization.
- A Certificate of Citizenship.
Because the passport you are replacing is missing, you may need another citizenship document. If you need to obtain one, Helpydo explains how to get a certified copy of your U.S. birth certificate or how to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for a child born overseas.
Submit the required citizenship-document photocopy
Bring the original or qualifying certified citizenship document and submit a photocopy. The State Department requires photocopies to be clear, printed on white 8.5-by-11-inch standard paper and single-sided. Copy the back as well when it contains printed information.
If you cannot obtain primary citizenship evidence, the Department provides secondary-evidence procedures and, in some cases, a file-search process. A file search currently carries a $150 fee.
Bring physical government-issued photo identification
An adult applying in person must present a physical government-issued photo ID. Digital or mobile IDs are not accepted as the physical identification document for the passport application.
Common primary IDs include an in-state fully valid driver's license, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, government employee ID, military ID, valid foreign passport and certain other government credentials.
You must submit a photocopy of the front and back of each ID you present. If you apply outside the state that issued your driver's license, the State Department instructs you to bring an additional ID.
Submit one recent compliant passport photo
You need one color photo taken within the last 6 months. The current State Department rules require you to face the camera directly, keep your full face visible and use a plain white or off-white background without shadows or distracting objects.
Do not digitally alter or filter the photo. The Department states that unacceptable photos are the leading reason passport applications are placed on hold.
Apply in person at an authorized passport location
A replacement for a lost or stolen passport generally requires an in-person DS-11 application. Depending on your circumstances, you may apply at a passport acceptance facility or, for qualifying urgent travel, at a Department of State passport agency or center.
Acceptance facilities include many post offices, libraries, clerks of court and other authorized locations. Passport agencies and centers are Department of State facilities and have separate appointment rules.
Current fees for applicants age 16 or older
For a DS-11 application by someone age 16 or older, current fees are:
- Passport book: $130 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee.
- Passport card: $30 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee.
- Passport book and card: $160 application fee plus $35 acceptance fee.
The application fee is paid to the U.S. Department of State. The acceptance fee is paid separately to the facility accepting the DS-11 application.
Children under 16 have different passport fees and rules
For a child under age 16, current DS-11 fees are $100 for a passport book, $15 for a passport card or $115 for both, plus the $35 acceptance fee.
Children also have additional parental relationship and consent requirements. If the missing passport belongs to a child under 16, follow the age-specific process rather than the adult instructions.
Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks
The Department of State currently lists 4 to 6 weeks for routine service and 2 to 3 weeks for expedited service. Expedited service costs an additional $60.
These processing estimates do not include mailing. The Department advises that an application may take up to 2 weeks to reach a passport agency or center and the completed passport may take up to another 2 weeks to arrive after it is printed.
Use a passport agency for qualifying urgent international travel
If you have international travel within the next 14 days, or need a foreign visa within the next 28 days, you may qualify to request an appointment at a Department of State passport agency or center.
The Department does not charge a separate fee simply to make a passport-agency appointment and warns against third-party services that charge for appointments.
A canceled passport cannot be reactivated
Once you report a valid passport lost or stolen, the Department cancels it. You cannot use it for international travel even if you later find it.
Do not attempt to travel with the recovered canceled passport. Continue with the replacement application and use the new passport after it is issued.
Contact a U.S. embassy or consulate if you are abroad
If your passport is lost or stolen while you are outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. You need a replacement travel document before returning to the United States.
The State Department says a police report abroad is not mandatory for passport replacement, although it can help document the circumstances. Consular staff can assist even when you cannot immediately produce all normal supporting documents.
For urgent travel, a consular officer may issue a limited-validity emergency passport, which can be valid for up to one year depending on the circumstances.
A passport lost in delivery uses a different procedure
If the Department issued and mailed your passport but you never received it, do not automatically use the ordinary lost-passport replacement process.
Check the Online Passport Status System and tracking information. If more than 2 weeks have passed since the Department mailed the passport, call Passport Services. The Department may direct you to complete Form DS-86. That form must be completed within 120 days of the passport's issuance date; after 120 days, the law requires a new application and payment of all applicable fees.
Special no-fee replacement may apply after certain disasters
The Department maintains a separate procedure for certain passports lost or damaged in qualifying natural disasters. In eligible circumstances, a replacement may be available without the ordinary passport fee.
Do not assume every accidental loss qualifies. The special procedure requires the loss or damage to meet the Department's disaster-replacement conditions.
Avoid delays in your replacement application
- Waiting to report a still-valid missing passport.
- Reporting an expired passport as lost or stolen when the Department says not to use that process for expired passports.
- Assuming the online loss report automatically orders a new passport.
- Trying to renew a lost passport with the ordinary renewal process instead of applying in person with Form DS-11.
- Signing Form DS-11 before the acceptance agent tells you to sign.
- Leaving out details about where or when the passport disappeared.
- Failing to bring original or certified citizenship evidence and required photocopies.
- Using a mobile driver's license instead of a physical photo ID.
- Submitting a passport photo that does not meet current standards.
- Paying only the Department of State fee and forgetting the separate $35 DS-11 acceptance fee.
- Counting only passport processing time and ignoring mailing time before an international trip.
- Trying to use a recovered passport after it has already been reported lost or stolen.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first if my U.S. passport is lost or stolen?
Report the valid passport to the U.S. Department of State immediately. The fastest method is its online Form Filler, which the Department says normally cancels the passport within 1 business day.
Does reporting my passport lost automatically replace it?
No. Reporting cancels the missing passport. To get a new passport in the United States, you generally must apply in person using Form DS-11.
Can I renew a lost passport online or by mail?
No. A passport that was lost or stolen is not eligible for ordinary renewal. The State Department directs applicants to use Form DS-11 and apply in person for the replacement.
How much does it cost to replace a lost U.S. passport?
For an applicant age 16 or older, a replacement passport book currently costs $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee. A passport card costs $30 plus $35, and both together cost $160 plus $35.
Do I need Form DS-64 and Form DS-11?
You can report the loss separately online or with Form DS-64. You can also report the loss while completing Form DS-11. If the information on DS-11 is incomplete, the Department may later ask you for Form DS-64.
Do I need a police report for a stolen passport?
A police report is not generally mandatory. If you filed one, the State Department instructs you to provide a copy with the replacement application.
How long does a replacement passport take in 2026?
Current processing is 4 to 6 weeks for routine service or 2 to 3 weeks for expedited service with an additional $60 fee. Mailing time is not included.
Can I use my old passport if I find it after reporting it lost?
No. Once reported lost or stolen, the passport is canceled and cannot be used for international travel even if you recover it.
What documents do I need to replace a lost passport?
A DS-11 applicant generally needs evidence of U.S. citizenship, physical government-issued photo ID, photocopies of the citizenship and ID documents, one compliant passport photo and information about the lost or stolen passport.
What if I lost my U.S. passport while traveling abroad?
Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. You need a new passport or other qualifying replacement travel document before you can return to the United States.
What if my new passport was mailed to me but never arrived?
Check passport status and tracking first. If more than 2 weeks have passed since the Department mailed it, contact Passport Services; you may need Form DS-86, which must be completed within 120 days of issuance.
Official sources
U.S. Department of State - Report Your Passport Lost or StolenU.S. Department of State - Apply for Your Adult PassportU.S. Department of State - Passport FeesU.S. Department of State - Citizenship EvidenceU.S. Department of State - Photo ID RequirementsU.S. Department of State - Passport PhotosU.S. Department of State - Make an Appointment at a Passport AgencyU.S. Department of State - Lost or Stolen Passport AbroadU.S. Department of State - Replace a Passport After a DisasterRelated procedures
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