# Passport Updating your U.S. passport # DS-11/82/5504
Trump has issued an executive order stopping gender self-identification on all federal documents including passports. It likely will not be possible to change the gender marker on your passport in the near future, but you can still change your name. This page will be updated as soon as new information is available.
  There are three different forms for applying for a passport in the US. The form you need to use depends on your circumstances. The three forms in question are the DS-11, DS-82, and DS-5504. The process is mostly the same for all of them, except if you're using the DS-11, you must submit it in-person at an acceptance facility, and you can't sign it until you're in the presence of acceptance facility personnel. ## Which form do I need? ### DS-5504 You can use the DS-5504 and apply by mail if **ANY** of the following are true: - Your passport was issued less than a year ago and you legally changed your name less than a year after it was issued (you must be able to submit a certified copy of your name change court order). - Your passport had incorrect information - Your current passport is a "limited-validity" passport, meaning it expires two years after it was issued instead of the usual ten year window, and the reason for the limitation is anything other than multiple losses or serious damage to your previous passports. ### DS-82 You can use the DS-82 and apply by mail if **ALL** of the following are true: - You can submit your previous passport book and/or card with your application. - You were at least 16 years old when your previous passport was issued. - Your previous passport was issued less than 15 years ago. - Your previous passport has not been mutilated, damaged, or reported lost or stolen. - Your passport is not limited to less than ten years of validity - You can submit a certified copy of your name change court order or are not changing your name. ### DS-11 You can use the DS-11 if any of the above conditions disqualify you from using the other forms or if you'd prefer to apply in person. ## Online renewal The Department of State allows online renewals if you're 25 years of age or older. However, as of the time I'm writing this article, you're not eligible for online renewal if you're changing the name and/or gender marker on your passport, so you must renew in-person or by mail. ## Filling out your forms The easiest way to fill out your passport forms is by using the Department of State's [online form filler](https://pptform.state.gov/). Once there, agree to the terms and then click "Submit" under "Fill Out Online and Print". The form filler will try to automatically determine which form you need based on the information you provide. However, it's always important to check and make sure that it chose the right form because it didn't choose the right form for me when I used it. If the form filler did not choose the right form or you have any other issues using it, you will need to fill your form out manually using a PDF editor or by hand with black ink only. If you make a mistake, you must fill out a new form instead of trying to correct your mistake. Here are links to PDFs of each form. Instructions for filling out each field are in the first few pages of the PDFs: - [DS-11](https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds11_pdf.PDF) - [DS-82](https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds82_pdf.PDF) - [DS-5504](https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds5504_pdf.PDF) If you're changing your name, use your new name wherever it asks for your name. If you're using the DS-82 or DS-5504, make sure to specify that your name was changed by court order and specify where and when your name change occurred. If you're changing your gender, select the gender you want to change to when it asks, and then select "Yes" for "Changing gender marker?". The gender marker you use in your application does not need to match your court order or any other documents. ## Passport photos The Department of State has fairly strict requirements for passport photos. You can read all of the requirements on their [Passport Photos page](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html). You can take a photo at home and print it yourself on matte or glossy photo paper, but it will be rejected if it doesn't follow the requirements exactly. If you don't want to take the photo yourself, many places will take your passport photos for you, including drug stores such as CVS, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid. However, these photos are not guaranteed to be accepted and often aren't. I recommend taking your passport photos at a place that specializes in passport photos with good reviews, or at an acceptance facility. Passport photos usually cost around $15 to $20. You will need to staple your passport photo to your application. Be careful not to damage the photo when you're stapling and try to staple as close to the edge of the photo as possible. If you don't want to do this yourself, you can ask whoever takes your photos to do it for you. ## Example The form shown in this example is the DS-82 form, generated by the online form filler. It assumes that you're changing your name and gender marker. Here's what your form should look like once it's finished (Everything I added is in red for emphasis. Use black when you're filling your form out): [![DS82-1.png](https://thecodex.gay/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/ds82-1.png)](https://thecodex.gay/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/ds82-1.png) [![DS82-2.png](https://thecodex.gay/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/ds82-2.png)](https://thecodex.gay/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/ds82-2.png) # Submitting your Passport Application Once you've filled out your forms, you'll need to submit your documents to the Department of State. The way you do this depends on which form you used. ## DS-5504 If you're using the DS-5504, you'll need to mail your application to the Department of State. You must use an envelope big enough to fit your application without folding it. The Department of State recommends using Priority Mail to send your documents. See [Sending Mail in the United States](https://thecodex.gay/books/other/page/sending-mail-in-the-united-states) for more information. You'll need to include your previous passport, your application printed on two separate pages (not double-sided!) and signed, and a certified copy of your name change court order if you're changing your name. You do not need to submit any payment for this type of application unless you want expedited service and/or expedited delivery. If you'd like to expedite your application, refer to the [Fees](#bkmrk-fees) section. ## DS-82 If you're using the DS-82, you'll need to mail your application to the Department of State. You must use an envelope big enough to fit your application without folding it. The Department of State recommends using Priority Mail to send your documents. See [Sending Mail in the United States](https://thecodex.gay/books/other/page/sending-mail-in-the-united-states) for more information. You'll need to include your previous passport, your application printed on two separate pages (not double-sided!) and signed, and a certified copy of your name change court order if you're changing your name. For this type of application, you'll need to pay the full passport renewal fee. Refer to the [Fees](#bkmrk-fees) section for more information. ## DS-11 If you're using the DS-11, you'll need to make an appointment at an acceptance facility and show up there in person. You can find your nearest acceptance facility using the [Acceptance Facility Search Page](https://iafdb.travel.state.gov/). When you go to the acceptance facility, take your previous passport or [other proof of US citizenship](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/citizenship-evidence.html), your un-signed application printed on two separate pages (not double-sided!), and a certified copy of your name change court order if you're changing your name and the name on your proof of citizenship hasn't been changed yet. For this type of application, you'll need to pay the full passport renewal fee to the Department of State and an execution fee to the acceptance facility. Refer to the [Fees](#bkmrk-fees) section for more information. ## Fees You can figure out how much you have to pay using the Department of State's [Fees Page](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html). If you need to pay an execution fee, you will have to pay that separately from the passport fee, as it goes to the acceptance facility and not to the Department of State. Most acceptance facilities will allow you to pay the execution fee by cash, card, check, or money order. The Department of State itself only accepts payment by check or money order. They do not accept cash or card details. You can use a debit card to buy a money order at the USPS and then use that to pay for the passport if you'd like to use a debit card. For information about how to fill out checks, see [Filling out Checks](https://thecodex.gay/books/financial/page/filling-out-checks). Write your name and date of birth on the memo line of the check or money order so that the Department of State can keep track of which application the check belongs to if it gets separated from the rest of the application. # Tracking your Passport Application # Tracking your Passport Application Once you submit your application, you can keep track of its progress as it's processed by the Department of State. ## USPS Tracking If you used Priority Mail to send your passport application, you can track it by entering the tracking number on your receipt on the [USPS Package Tracker](https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction). It will likely say something like "Label Created, Not Yet in System" for a while after you submit it, until your package is scanned by an employee or machine. ## Application Status Once your application arrives at the passport processing center, you can track it using the Department of State's [Passport Application Status tool](https://passportstatus.state.gov/). Agree to the terms and enter your details to see your application status. It's recommended to enroll in email updates so that you don't miss any status updates and don't have to keep entering your details into the status checker. Here are the possible statuses and their meanings: - **Not Available**: Your application has not yet been entered into the system or you entered your details incorrectly. It can take up to two weeks after your application arrives at the passport processing center for it to be entered into the system. - **In Process**: Your application has been entered into the Department of State's system and assigned to a processing facility. This status update will include a locator number. The first two digits of this number tells you which facility is processing your application. You can use [this chart](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/status.html#accNum8) to figure out which facility those digits code for. - **Additional Information Needed**: Your application was missing some information and has been placed on hold. The Department of State has sent you an email and/or letter with instructions on what to do next. You must respond within 90 days. - **Information Received, In Process Again**: The Department of State has received the information they asked for and your application is no longer on hold. - **Approved**: Your application has been approved and your passport will be printed and shipped soon. - **Passport Mailed**: Your passport has been printed and mailed to the mailing address on your application. Make sure to save your tracking number as you will not be able to see it again once the next status update is issued. You can use the tracking number in the [USPS Package Tracker](https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction) to see where your new passport is and when it'll be delivered. - **Supporting Documents Mailed**: All of the supporting documents you submitted, such as your previous passport, proof of citizenship, or name change court order have been mailed to the mailing address on your application. These are sent using standard first-class mail, so there is no tracking. ## What if I never receive my passport If you've waited over two weeks after your passport was mailed and you still haven't received it, it may have been lost in the mail. First, try contacting the USPS to see if they know any information about what might've happened to it. If they don't, you need to submit [form DS-86](https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds86.PDF) within 90 days of the mailing date, stating that you never received your passport. Once you've filled out the form, you need to mail it to the passport agency that processed your application along with a photocopy of a government-issued photo ID such as a Driver's License or state ID Card. Use [this chart](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/status.html#accNum8) along with the first two digits of the locator number in your passport status updates to figure out which agency was processing your application. Once the passport agency receives your form DS-86, they'll send you a new passport free of charge and cancel the one you never received. If you ever receive the lost passport, DO NOT USE IT, as it's been placed in a database of lost passports and you may be detained if you attempt to use it. Instead, contact the National Passport Information Center and they'll tell you what to do with it. ## What if I never receive my supporting documents If you've waited over four weeks since your supporting documents were mailed, contact the National Passport Information Center to report that your documents were lost. If you'd like to be reimbursed for the cost of replacing the lost documents, you must contact the National Passport Information Center within 90 days of the mailing date and provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the documents.