If you notice a mistake on your passport application before you submit it, the cleanest fix is to print a fresh DS-11 with the correction instead of crossing anything out. If the mistake is on the passport itself after it arrives, such as a misspelled name or wrong birth date, the State Department corrects it for free with Form DS-5504 while the passport is valid.
What you do in between depends on when you catch it. Here’s how to handle each case, and how to avoid the mistakes that delay most first-time applications.
Haven’t applied yet? This is the easiest time to fix a mistake, and it’s where we help most. We’re The Passport Office, and at your appointment we review every document and complete the DS-11 with you. Our experience helps minimize denials caused by common paperwork errors. If you’ve already applied directly through the normal routes, though, we can no longer assist with that application. Call us before you submit.
Caught a mistake before you apply
Start again with a clean form. The State Department’s Form Filler lets you fix the answer on screen and print a new DS-11. We recommend that over crossing out or using correction fluid, because a clean form is easier for the acceptance agent to check and for the State Department to read.
When you print, use single-sided pages on standard 8.5 x 11 paper. The State Department doesn’t accept double-sided forms. Leave the signature blank, since you sign in front of the acceptance agent.
If you apply with us, you don’t have to get the form perfect on your own. We complete the DS-11 with you at your appointment and check each answer against your documents before you take it to be sealed.
Mistake on an application you already sent
If the State Department spots a problem, it puts your application on hold and sends you a letter or email that says what it needs. Answer it within 90 days with exactly what it asks for. You don’t usually need a whole new application.
If you realize the mistake yourself after you’ve applied, wait for your status to update or for that letter, then follow its instructions. We can’t step in at this point: once you’ve applied directly, we can no longer assist with that application, and only the State Department can resolve it. Our guide on what happens if your application is denied covers the letter, the 90-day window, and what happens to your fees.
Found an error on your new passport
Check every detail as soon as your passport arrives. If the State Department printed something wrong, it’s a data or printing error, and you fix it by mail with Form DS-5504.
| When you report it | Cost | How long the corrected passport is valid |
|---|---|---|
| Within one year of issue | No fee | Full validity (10 years for an adult) |
| More than one year after issue | No fee while the passport is valid | Until the original expiration date |
Send the DS-5504 with your current passport, one new color photo, and a document that proves the correct information, such as your birth certificate. The State Department’s page on how to change or correct a passport has the form and mailing address. Normal processing times apply, with routine or expedited service.
What counts as a printing error
These are printing or data errors, and they qualify for a free correction:
- Your name is misspelled or doesn’t match the documents you sent
- Your date or place of birth is wrong
- Your photo printed badly, for example blurred or cut off
A photo you just don’t like isn’t a printing error. If the photo printed correctly, changing it means a renewal with the DS-82 and the normal fees. The same applies to an error that came from your own application: the correction form is for the State Department’s mistakes, so check your copy of the DS-11 before you send it.
If your name changed instead
A name change isn’t a mistake, but it uses the same form when it happens soon after your passport was issued. Within one year of issue, you can use the DS-5504 with your marriage certificate or court order. After that, you renew with the DS-82 if you’re eligible. Our passport renewal guide covers renewing by mail or online.
Seven mistakes that delay first-time applications
- Information that doesn’t match your documents. Use your full legal name exactly as it appears on your proof of citizenship.
- A photo that breaks a rule, such as glasses, shadows, or an old photo. Our passport photo requirements guide lists every rule.
- Missing documents or copies. Bring the original citizenship document and a photocopy, plus your ID and a photocopy of it.
- A double-sided printout of the DS-11.
- Signing too early. Wait until the acceptance agent asks you to sign.
- The wrong form. If you can renew, the DS-82 is simpler. If you can’t, use the DS-11.
- Waiting until the last minute. Routine processing takes 4 to 6 weeks plus mail time, so a small mistake can cost you a trip.
Every one of these is something we check at an appointment with us. When your trip is coming up, that review is the difference between a mistake you fix at the table and one you find out about weeks later in a letter.
Our guide on how to get a passport for the first time walks through every step in order.
Getting it right the first time with us
We’re The Passport Office, a registered courier service. You can start your application online through our service and mail it to us from anywhere in the U.S. If you’d rather come in, we have offices in Atlanta, Clearwater, Hollywood, Kissimmee, Miami, Orlando, Seattle, and Tampa (near the airport). Book an appointment by phone for in-person expedited help, or walk in at most of our offices.
Here’s what to bring if you’re expediting with us:
- Your proof of citizenship and photo ID, with photocopies
- Proof of your upcoming travel
- A signed authorization letter for our hand-courier process
At your appointment, we review your documents and complete the DS-11 with you, so the details match before anything is sealed. You then take it to a nearby acceptance facility to sign in front of the agent, bring the sealed envelope back to us, and our courier hand-carries it to a passport agency.
With our Emergency service, we can get your passport in as fast as 2 to 3 business days. You still pay the government fees, including the $60 to expedite, and our service fee is on top of that. We can only expedite an application we handle from the start, so call us before you apply anywhere else. Call us or see our pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cross out a mistake on my passport application?
We don’t recommend it. Print a fresh DS-11 from the State Department’s Form Filler with the correct answer. A clean form avoids questions from the acceptance agent and the State Department.
Can The Passport Office fix a mistake on my application?
Before you submit, yes: we review your documents and complete the DS-11 with you, so mistakes get caught at the table. After you’ve applied directly, no. That application is with the State Department, and we can no longer assist with it.
Is a passport correction free?
Yes, for a printing or data error the State Department made, as long as the passport is still valid. You pay only if you choose expedited processing. Changing a photo that printed correctly is a renewal with normal fees.
How long does a passport correction take?
A DS-5504 correction goes through the same routine or expedited processing as other mail applications, plus mail time each way. Check the State Department’s current processing times before you send it.
What if my name is spelled wrong on my passport?
If the passport doesn’t match the documents you applied with, that’s a printing error. Send the DS-5504, your passport, a new photo, and proof of the correct spelling. It’s free while the passport is valid.