Passport Name Requirements

Lisa Maloney, Leaf Group Updated March 26, 2018

When you first apply for a U.S. passport, you'll have to submit proof of U.S. citizenship and either a government-issued photo ID or a combination of a valid non-government ID, an out-of-state driver's license, a Social Security card, among other options. Aside from verifying your identity, this multi-step verification also ensures that your full, legal name appears correctly on the passport. If, for any reason, your name changes due to events, such as marriage, divorce, adoption or gender change, you'll need to submit a correction form or reapply for an entirely new passport.

The Passport Correction Form

If your name has changed within less than a year of the passport being issued, you can have a new passport issued at no charge as long as you submit the following:

  • Passport form DS-5504
  • Your passport
  • An original or certified copy of the official document showing your name change
  • A color photo that follows the passport photo requirements

If it's been longer than a year since your passport was issued, you'll need to either renew your passport under your corrected name or, depending on the specifics of your circumstances, apply for an entirely new passport.

Renewal vs. New Passport

If you have an undamaged passport (other than normal wear and tear) that was issued within the last 15 years; you were 16 or older when it was issued; and you can provide legal documentation of your name change, you can renew your passport using form DS-82. Along with the form, you'll need to submit your current passport, an original or certified copy of the name change document, a passport photo, and the appropriate renewal fees. You can submit all of this by mail.

If you don't meet the previous requirements, you'll have to apply for a new passport in person at an acceptance facility or passport agency, using passport form DS-11. In addition to the form, you'll need original documents showing proof of identity and citizenship, and photocopies of the same documents; plus an original or certified copy of your name change document, a passport photo, and the applicable fees.

Correcting a Printing or Processing Error

If the name error in your passport is due to a printing or processing error, you can have it corrected at no charge at any time as long as the original passport is still valid. Submit passport form DS-5504, along with your passport, a passport photo and proof of the error – for example, a birth certificate showing your correct name. If you send in the form within a year of the passport's original issue date, your new passport will be valid for another 10 years. If it's been longer than a year since the incorrect passport was issued, the corrected replacement will be valid until the original passport's expiration date.

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