Article · Updated September 7, 2026
Passport name change after marriage: forms, fees, and travel timing
Form DS-5504 may provide a no-fee path when both passport issuance and the legal name change were less than one year ago. Otherwise DS-82 or DS-11 may apply.
The short version
- If both the passport issuance and legal name change were less than a year ago, Form DS-5504 may provide a no-fee name-change path.
- If more than a year has passed since either your passport was issued or your legal name change, eligible adults may renew a passport book with Form DS-82 by mail for $130; the adult DS-11 passport-book route is $165 including the acceptance fee.
- Before mailing a passport near planned travel, compare the ticket name, travel document, current processing guidance, and carrier instructions.
- No legal name change document? DS-11 in person with the DS-60 affidavit and five years of records.
The State Department will change the name on your passport for free, with no service fee at all when the State Department’s DS-5504 eligibility conditions apply. That path has a time limit. The procedural details below come from the State Department’s change-or-correct page, which we rechecked for these fee and eligibility distinctions on September 7, 2026.
The free window: Form DS-5504
If it has been less than one year since both your passport was issued and your name was legally changed, you mail Form DS-5504 with your most recent U.S. passport, an original or certified name change document (a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order), and one passport photo. The State Department’s own words: “You will not have to submit any fees for this service.” Expedited processing is the one optional charge, at $60. If you got a passport shortly before the wedding, this window is open right now and closing.
Past the window: DS-82 or DS-11
Once more than a year has passed since either the issuance or the legal name change, the free path closes. If eligible, you renew a passport book by mail with Form DS-82 and a certified copy of your name change document for $130, or you apply in person with Form DS-11 for $165 including the acceptance fee if you are not eligible to renew by mail. If you have no court order, decree, or marriage certificate showing the change, the in-person route requires Form DS-60, an affidavit completed by two people who have known you by both names, plus three certified or original public records showing five or more years of use of the new name.
The travel trap
Mailing a passport for a name change can conflict with international travel if processing overlaps the trip or the booking name differs from the document you will use. Before mailing, compare the booked name with that passport, review current State Department processing guidance and the carrier’s instructions, then choose timing that fits your itinerary. If you move, your passport does not need updating; addresses are not printed in it.
Before you mail your passport
- Check the route
- Have the passport issue date and legal name-change date ready. Confirm the form and evidence with the State Department’s name-change instructions.
- Check the whole travel window
- Compare the name on your booking with the document you will use. Review your carrier’s instructions and current processing and mailing times. Mailing time is separate from processing time.
- Choose when to act
- If the timing is tight, check the official urgent-travel options before submitting. The right timing depends on your itinerary; a plan cannot guarantee a passport’s arrival.
Verified September 7, 2026
Source: the U.S. State Department’s change-or-correct passport page. The linked processing and mailing guidance was checked September 8, 2026. Passport guidance links to that federal source and records the review date; institution-controlled reminders remain labeled as general context.
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