Changing Your Name On Your US Passport Renewal - Expedited Passports

Whether you’ve changed your name due to marriage, divorce, or “just because,” the paperwork involved can be a huge hassle. There are so many different people and institutions that you have to call- your bank, credit card companies, the DMV…the list goes on and on. If you’re planning on traveling overseas anytime soon, don’t forget to include the US Passport Agency on that list, too! You’ll need to get a new passport with your new name to avoid getting stuck at the border.

How do you request a US passport renewal with a name change? If you have the appropriate legal documents, you can simply place them in the mail with your US passport renewal application. Here are the details:

• If your passport was issued less than a year ago, you can submit Form DS-5504. There’s no fee for using this form unless you need it expedited. However, if your passport was issued more than 90 days ago, you do need to include new photos.
• If your passport was issued more than a year ago, you can submit the US passport renewal application, form DS-82. You will be charged the normal US passport renewal fees.

What name change documents should you submit with your US passport renewal application? Here’s a list:

• A Marriage Certificate
• A Divorce Decree
• A Court Order referencing the name change

What if you don’t have any of these documents? Instead of filling out a US passport renewal application and mailing it in, you’ll have to fill out form DS-11, an application for a brand new passport, in person. You’ll need to bring proof of citizenship and proof of identity when you apply. Remember to allow the appropriate amount of time for processing: 3 weeks or more for normal service, and 2 weeks for the governments expedited service. If you need your name change done more quickly, a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can help!

Tags: name changes, passport renewal

This entry was posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 12:57 pm and is filed under Important Documents. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.