Obtain a passport renewal form, form DS-82, from any passport acceptance facility or from the U.S. Department of State's website (travel.state.gov). Complete the application in its entirety.
Locate your current passport, which must be mailed along with your passport application renewal. If your name is different from the name currently shown on your passport you need to mail a certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order for a name change with your current passport and application.
Take a new passport photo. You can take your own or you can have one taken for you at a passport acceptance facility or any other professional passport photo location. All passport photos must meet the guidelines put in place by the U.S. Department of State.
Write a check in the amount of $110, the passport renewal fee as of April 2011. Make your check payable to the Department of State. Write a second check in the amount of $60, also payable to the Department of State to expedite the handling of your passport renewal application. Expediting the handling of your passport means you will receive your new passport two to three weeks after the date you mail your application, rather than the normal processing time of six to eight weeks.
Mail your application, supporting documents and payments to:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955
