Online passport renewal is now available for some applicants. Here's how it works.
You may not need to go to the post office to renew your passport anymore.
The State Department is running a trial for online passport renewals and says it plans to fully open the system for online renewals in the coming months.
Online renewals will be available to a limited number of applicants each day for now, and those applications will only be accepted during Eastern time zone midday hours.
“We plan to continue to limit the number of applications accepted each day so we can monitor the system’s performance in real time,” a statement from the State Department said. “This beta release during which we are limiting the daily applications is an important and standard part of the software development process.”
To qualify for online passport renewals, applicants must:
Have an existing U.S. passport that was issued no more than 15 years prior to the new application date. It must still be in the applicant’s possession, and not previously reported lost or stolen.
Not be changing their name, gender, date of birth or place of birth for the new passport.
Be applying for a regular tourist passport.
Live in a U.S. state or territory.
Be able to pay the renewal fee using a credit or debit card online.
Be able to upload a digital photo.
The State Department will not offer expediting for online passport renewals during the system trial period, so it requires applicants to certify that they have no international travel plans for at least eight weeks from the application date.
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The fee for online passport renewal is the same as renewal by mail – $130. The State Department advises applicants that their existing passport will be canceled as their renewal application is processed. New passports will still be delivered by mail after the application is approved.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can you renew your passport online? Yes, thanks to a new trial program
