Passport Name Change: Which Form Do You Need?

The State Department doesn't use one universal form: your name change and passport update run through one of three applications, and which is yours depends entirely on your current passport's age and condition.

• DS-5504: a correction form for passports issued very recently.
• DS-82: a renewal-by-mail form for passports that are a bit older but still valid and undamaged.
• DS-11: the standard in-person application, used when your passport is older, was issued while you were a minor, or is lost or damaged.

Picking the wrong one is the fastest way to add weeks to your timeline, since each has different documentation, mailing, and appointment requirements. The good news: figuring out which applies to you is mostly a matter of checking one date (your passport's issue date) and answering a couple of yes/no questions, which we cover in the next section.

If you haven't finished your Social Security and driver's license updates yet, start with our free checklist to see exactly where the passport step fits in your overall order of operations.

There's exactly one scenario where changing your name on a passport costs nothing: if your current passport was issued within the last year, you can use Form DS-5504 to request a free correction. This is treated as fixing a recent record rather than a full renewal, so the State Department waives the fee.

Outside that one-year window, you'll be renewing or reapplying, which means standard fees apply no matter how simple the name change itself is. There's no special "name change only" discount for DS-82 or DS-11: the passport book itself is being reissued, and that always carries a cost.

This mirrors a pattern you'll recognize from earlier in the process: Social Security's SS-5 form is free, always, no matter how long you wait. Passports work differently, so don't assume the same free treatment carries over. If you're unsure which category you fall into, our name-change kit walks through the eligibility questions form by form so you're not guessing.

Outside of the DS-5504 free-correction scenario, expect to pay the State Department's standard passport fees, which are set by the government and separate from anything NameWright charges for paperwork prep. Expedited service and overnight delivery are available for an added cost if you're in a time crunch.

You'll also need a few supporting items regardless of which form applies: a recent passport photo, your certified marriage certificate or divorce decree showing the name change, and your current passport (for DS-82 and DS-5504) to submit alongside your application.

One thing worth repeating because it trips people up constantly: NameWright is not a government agency and doesn't set or collect these fees. We prepare your paperwork correctly so you're not stuck deciphering instructions or guessing which boxes to check, and you file directly with the State Department. See our pricing page for what our prep service covers.

Submission method depends entirely on your form. DS-5504 and DS-82 are mail-in: you package your form, certified marriage certificate or divorce decree, current passport, and photo, then send it to the address specified in the form instructions. DS-11 requires an in-person visit to an acceptance facility (often a post office, clerk's office, or library) where you'll present your documents and sign the application in front of an authorized agent.

Before you assemble anything, make sure the earlier steps in your name-change chain are actually done. Your certified marriage certificate or divorce decree is the document everything else hinges on, and it should already have supported your Social Security and driver's license updates by this point.

Requirements can vary slightly, so it's worth a quick check of your state's page for any local nuances around acceptance facilities or notarization before you submit. Double-check your packet against the form's checklist to avoid a returned application.

Passport processing times fluctuate with the State Department's current workload, and they're consistently the longest step in the whole name-change sequence, so plan well ahead if you have travel booked. Expedited service and in-person appointments at a passport agency exist for genuinely urgent situations, but both typically involve added fees and specific documentation to prove your travel date.

The biggest scheduling mistake we see isn't with the passport step itself. It's rushing into the driver's license step too early. The number one reason DMV name-change visits get rejected is showing up before the 24-48 hour window for Social Security's update to sync with DMV systems. If that visit gets rejected, it delays everything downstream, including your passport application, since many people use their updated license as supporting ID.

Build in buffer time at every stage. Our free checklist keeps the whole sequence, and its timing, in one place so nothing catches you off guard before a trip.

The passport forms themselves don't care whether your name changed through marriage or divorce: DS-5504, DS-82, and DS-11 work the same way either direction. What differs is the underlying document you'll submit as proof: a certified marriage certificate for a marriage-based change, or a certified divorce decree that explicitly restores or changes your name for a divorce-based one.

Make sure whichever document you're using is a certified copy, not a photocopy, and that a divorce decree specifically states the name change if that's your route, since some decrees don't include this language automatically, which can catch people off guard at this final step.

Since the passport is typically last in line, it's worth reviewing the full sequence for your situation. Our name change after marriage and name change after divorce guides walk through the earlier Social Security and driver's license steps that should already be behind you before you file DS-5504, DS-82, or DS-11.