If your U.S. passport is lost or stolen, report it first, then apply for a new one in person. Reporting takes minutes online and cancels the passport within one business day, but it does not replace it. A replacement is a new application on Form DS-11, at $130 for an adult book plus a $35 acceptance fee, and routine processing is currently 4–6 weeks.
One rule saves confusion: only report a passport that is still valid. The State Department says not to report an expired passport lost or stolen.
- 1 business dayfor an online report to cancel the passport
- $165adult passport book, replacement$130 application fee + $35 acceptance fee
- 4–6 weeksroutine processing2–3 weeks expedited, $60 extra; mailing time not included
- Up to 1 yearemergency passport abroadwhen there is no time for a regular one
Stand: October 2026 · Sources: travel.state.gov (Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen; Passport Fees; Lost or Stolen Passport Abroad).
Step one: report it
- Report it onlineUse the State Department's online form filler; the passport is canceled within one business day and you get a confirmation email.
- Stop treating it as usableOnce reported, it can't be used for international travel, even if you find it.
- Fill in Form DS-11Say where and when it was lost or stolen, and attach the police report if you have one.
- Apply in personAt a passport acceptance facility, with citizenship proof, photo ID, a photo and fees.
- Wait for the new passportRoutine processing is 4–6 weeks; expedited is 2–3 weeks for $60 more.
Reporting protects you from identity theft. There are three ways: online with its form filler, by mail with Form DS-64, or in person while applying for a new passport.
- Online: the passport is canceled within one business day and a confirmation email follows.
- By mail: print and sign Form DS-64, add a photocopy of the front and back of your photo ID, and mail it. It can take several weeks to receive the report and cancel the passport.
- With your new application: the department may not cancel the old passport for several weeks, so if you want it canceled right away, report it online as well.
After the report, the passport is dead for international travel, even if you find it in a coat pocket the next day. If you try to use it, you may be delayed and denied entry to a foreign country. No one can travel on a passport number alone either: you have to present the physical passport.
Step two: apply for a replacement
Adults whose passport is lost, stolen or damaged don't qualify for mail-in renewal (children under 16 follow the child passport rules). You apply in person with a new Form DS-11, like a first-time applicant. The form asks for detailed information about where and when the passport was lost or stolen; add a copy of the police report if you filed one. If you leave this out, the department may pause your application and ask for Form DS-64.
The fees are the standard ones: $130 for a book, $30 for a card, $160 for both, plus the $35 acceptance fee at the facility. Expedited service is $60 extra and 1–3 day return delivery is $22.05. Routine processing is 4–6 weeks and expedited is 2–3 weeks, neither counting mailing time, which the department puts at roughly two weeks each way.
Traveling in less than 3 weeks? The State Department lets you make an appointment at a passport agency or center once you're within 14 days of international travel. Otherwise, a post office, library or local government office is your acceptance facility.
At home or abroad
Source: travel.state.gov, Apply for Your Adult Passport. Children under 16 apply with both parents; see the child passport page.
Applying in the United States is the process above. Losing your passport abroad is different, because you need a new one before you return home. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and appear in person.
Bring a 2 by 2 inch passport photo, ID such as a driver's license or expired passport, proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate or a photocopy of the missing passport, your airline or train itinerary and a DS-11. If there isn't time for a regular passport, the consular section can issue an emergency passport valid for up to one year, which you can exchange for a full-validity passport after your trip. Replacement passports abroad generally cost the same as at home.
Even if you can't present everything, the State Department says consular staff will do their best to help you get a new passport quickly.
When someone else's passport turns up
If you find another person's U.S. passport, mail it in a sturdy envelope to the State Department's Consular Lost and Stolen Passport Unit (CLASP) at PO Box 1227, Sterling, VA 20166-1227. The same office handles the passport of a deceased relative: send the passport, a certified copy of the death certificate and a letter asking for cancellation.
So it never costs you a trip
You can't prevent a lost passport, but you can make it a small problem. Keep a photocopy of the data page and your citizenship document somewhere other than your luggage, because a photocopy of a missing passport can serve as proof of citizenship abroad. The passport documents guide lists what each application needs, the renewal fees page covers the mail-in route for a passport that's merely expiring, and the international travel scenario shows what else belongs in a travel folder.
Paperlock keeps photos of your passport and birth certificate in a Face-ID-locked vault on your phone, reads the dates, and with reminders turned on prompts you six months, 30 days and 7 days before the passport expires. Fees and rules change; check travel.state.gov before you apply.