- USA.gov says the State Department offers the only authorized place to renew a passport online.
- You cannot renew, and must apply in person with Form DS-11, if your passport was issued before your 16th birthday, issued more than 15 years ago, damaged, lost or stolen, or issued in a name you cannot document changing.
- The fee schedule in 22 CFR 22.1 (eCFR, version dated October 1, 2026): passport book application for age 16 or over, including renewals, $50; passport book security surcharge, $80; expedited service, $60; in-person execution fee, $35; adult passport card, $30.
- On the day of our check, the top five Google results for “passport renewal” were private paid-service businesses and not the State Department.
Why this search is a problem
Passport renewal is among the most searched document tasks in the United States, with national monthly volume in the hundreds of thousands. The official answer is free to read and the renewal itself costs only the government fee. Businesses that sell “expedited services”, couriers and local “passport offices” pay to sit at the top of the results, and a person in a hurry clicks the first one. Some are legitimate expediters that add a charge on top of the government's. Whether a particular company is honest, you pay twice for work you could do yourself, and you hand over a passport, a photo and personal data to a business that is not the government.
We did not open a source documenting prosecutions of fake passport-renewal websites, so this guide does not claim how many exist. The structural risk is enough: a company that is not the State Department is holding your most valuable identity document.
The official process
- Check you can renew. Use the conditions in the key facts. If any apply, you need a new passport in person on Form DS-11.
- Choose mail or online. By mail you use Form DS-82, a passport photo, the fee and your most recent passport. Online renewal is only on the State Department's system and has eligibility conditions you can see there.
- Pay the government fee. By mail renewals do not carry the $35 execution fee, which the regulation attaches to first-time applicants and others who must apply in person.
- Wait for two mailings. USA.gov notes your old passport is mailed back separately, in most cases about four weeks after the new one.
| What a third-party site may say | The official position |
|---|---|
| We process your passport | Only the State Department issues passports. A company can mail your application; it cannot approve it. |
| Guaranteed fast passport | Expedited service is a $60 fee under 22 CFR 22.1, paid to the government. Processing times are published by the State Department; we did not verify current ones. |
| Fill out the form with us | Form DS-82 is available to fill out online and print, or to download, from the State Department. |
| Send us your passport and photo | You mail these only to the address on the official instructions. |
Fees at a glance
The following figures come from the regulation text and are checked on October 5, 2026. The State Department's own fee page may show more items, such as delivery charges, that we could not load.
| Item (22 CFR 22.1) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Passport book application, age 16 or over, including renewals | $50 |
| Passport book security surcharge | $80 |
| Adult passport book, application plus surcharge (our sum) | $130 |
| Execution fee, in person (first-time applicants and others who must apply in person) | $35 |
| Expedited service | $60 |
| Adult passport card application | $30 |
If the passport is lost or stolen
Report it to the State Department right away: online with Form DS-64, by phone at 1-877-487-2778, or by mail. USA.gov says the State Department then invalidates it and you cannot use it if you find it. A replacement inside the U.S. uses Form DS-11, in person.
What the law says about fake passports
A different problem, a counterfeit passport sold to a buyer, is a federal crime. Section 1543 of Title 18 covers falsely making, forging, counterfeiting or altering a passport, and using or furnishing one: the ceiling is 10 years for a first or second offense, 15 years for any other offense, 20 years if committed to facilitate drug trafficking and 25 years if to facilitate international terrorism. These are maximums, not typical sentences.
If you already sent documents to a site you now doubt, follow these steps.
Frequently asked questions
How do I renew my passport?
By mail with Form DS-82, or on the State Department's online renewal system if you qualify. USA.gov says the State Department offers the only authorized place to renew online. You must have a passport issued within the last 15 years and after age 16. Eligibility rules also apply: you generally cannot renew by mail if the passport is damaged, lost or stolen, or was issued before age 16.
How much does it cost to renew a U.S. passport?
The federal fee schedule shows a $50 application fee plus an $80 passport book security surcharge for adults, $130 in total, checked October 5, 2026. Expedited service is $60 more. Confirm on the State Department's fee page before you pay. The security surcharge and the expedite fee are listed separately in the regulation, so a total quoted by a third party should be checked against those lines. Confirm against the State Department's page too.
Are passport renewal websites a scam?
Many are private businesses that charge on top of the government fee. Some may be legitimate expediters; others may mislead you into thinking they are the government. Only the State Department issues passports, and you can renew without a third party. If a company took your application, ask exactly what it charged and what it sent to the State Department; the government fee still goes to the government.
Can I renew an expired passport?
USA.gov says you can renew an expired passport only if it was issued within the last 15 years. If it is older, you apply in person with Form DS-11. Time matters. USA.gov warns that processing times vary, and some countries and airlines deny entry if a passport expires in under six months.
What do I do if my passport is stolen?
Report it to the State Department at once, online (Form DS-64), by phone at 1-877-487-2778 or by mail. You then apply for a replacement in person with Form DS-11. Be wary of anyone who says they can produce a passport without the application process, because only the State Department issues one.