{"id":1382,"date":"2014-05-21T12:31:17","date_gmt":"2014-05-21T17:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepassportoffice.com\/blog\/fixing-mistakes-on-your-passport-application\/"},"modified":"2026-11-06T14:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T19:15:12","slug":"fixing-mistakes-on-your-passport-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thepassportoffice.com\/blog\/fixing-mistakes-on-your-passport-application\/","title":{"rendered":"Fixing Mistakes on Your Passport Application"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you notice a mistake on your passport application before you submit it<\/strong>, 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<\/strong> after it arrives, such as a misspelled name or wrong birth date, the State Department corrects it for free with Form DS-5504<\/strong> while the passport is valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Haven’t applied yet?<\/strong> 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<\/a> before you submit.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Caught a mistake before you apply<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Start again with a clean form. The State Department’s Form Filler<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mistake on an application you already sent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> covers the letter, the 90-day window, and what happens to your fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Found an error on your new passport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Check every detail as soon as your passport arrives. If the State Department printed something wrong, it’s a data or printing error<\/strong>, and you fix it by mail with Form DS-5504.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you report it<\/th>Cost<\/th>How long the corrected passport is valid<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Within one year of issue<\/td>No fee<\/td>Full validity (10 years for an adult)<\/td><\/tr>
More than one year after issue<\/td>No fee while the passport is valid<\/td>Until the original expiration date<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> has the form and mailing address. Normal processing times<\/a> apply, with routine or expedited service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What counts as a printing error<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These are printing or data errors, and they qualify for a free correction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n