What Can You Actually Do With an Expired Passport？ (Can You Renew It？)

Most people think that an expired passport is just trash, or at best a glorified souvenir, but there's actually several situations where an expired passport can work just as well as a brand new one. So let's start with the renewal loophole for expired passports, and then I'll show you what else that expired passport sitting in your drawer can still do, along with what it absolutely cannot do. First up, can you renew an expired passport? In many cases, yes. An expired adult passport may still allow you to renew by mail using Form DS-82. That's usually much simpler than applying in person with Form DS-11 like you did the first time you got your passport. And that's a win, because with an in-person application, you generally have to gather citizenship evidence and identification, you got to make an appointment at an acceptance facility, you got to appear in person, and you have to pay an additional acceptance fee. Mail-in renewal is cheaper, and it's easier, but it has a deadline. Your previous passport must have been issued within the last 15 years. Otherwise, it's back to DS-11 and applying from the beginning all over again. Because a standard adult passport is valid for 10 years, that generally gives you a five-year period after expiration when you still qualify for renewal by mail. For example, if your adult passport expired three years ago, it's probably still eligible. But if it expired eight years ago, that's probably 18 years since it was issued, so you're out of that 15-year window. You're not eligible for the normal mail or even online renewal processes. Ultimately, the date that matters is the issue date printed inside the passport, not just the expiration date. Now, to be clear, the 15-year rule is not the only requirement. To qualify for renewal, the passport also needs to have been issued when you were age 16 or older, issued with the standard 10-year validity. It has to still be in your possession. It can't be badly damaged or previously reported lost or stolen. Your name also needs to match your current name, unless you can submit the acceptable documentation of that change. So an expired passport does not automatically qualify for renewal by mail, but if it does meet those requirements, it can save you from going through that in-person application process all over again. Now, can it still prove your U.S. citizenship? Even if your passport is too old for mail renewal, you do not need to assume it's worthless. A previous U.S. passport may still serve as evidence of your U.S. citizenship, even after it expires. That matters if you need to apply in person for a new passport. You may be able to submit that old passport as your citizenship evidence instead of tracking down a certified birth certificate or another citizenship document you may have. Of course, the passport still needs to be deemed acceptable for that purpose. A badly damaged passport or one with any other problems may require additional documentation, but expiration by itself does not erase the fact that the U.S. government previously confirmed your citizenship. That's the one major reason you should never throw away an expired passport. Now, can you use it at TSA? Here's another situation that surprises people. TSA currently accepts certain expired identification at airport security checkpoints for up to two years after the expiration date. That means an expired passport book may still help you get through airport security for a domestic flight if it expired less than two years ago. For example, if your driver's license is lost or stolen or you just want to leave it at home, that expired passport sitting in your drawer may still be useful for you. But there are two important limits. It's for domestic flights only. We're talking about getting through TSA screening for a domestic flight U.S. to U.S. There's also that two-year limit, so a passport that expired six months ago is way different than one that expired six years ago when it comes to getting through that Real ID checkline. So, if you plan to use an expired passport as identification at TSA, check the actual expiration date before you head to the airport. Now for the hard no's. You cannot use an expired passport as a valid passport for international travel. You cannot use it to fly out of the United States, fly back into the United States, or satisfy another country's valid passport entry requirement. Ever. And even if your passport has not expired yet, you still need to check the destination's entry rules. Many countries now require your passport to remain valid for several months beyond your travel date, usually three months or six. So don't ask only, is my passport still valid today? Ask whether it will meet the requirements for your entire trip. An expired passport also generally cannot be used as the passport document for Form I-9, employment verification, because documents presented for that purpose usually must be unexpired. And also, be careful with cruises. Some closed-loop cruises allow U.S. citizens to travel with specific combinations of citizenship and identification documents, but an expired passport should not be treated as a valid cruise passport. It may not satisfy the requirements of your cruise line, itinerary, or the destination. More importantly, it cannot be used to fly home internationally if you have an emergency and you got to leave that cruise early. So an expired passport may still be useful for some purposes, but it is never a valid international travel document or a dependable backup plan for any overseas trip. So here's the quick rundown. For TSA, if your passport expired less than two years ago, it's probably still going to be accepted as identification at TSA for domestic flights only. For citizenship checks, if it was a full validity U.S. passport and it remains an acceptable condition, it may still help prove your U.S. citizenship. In renewal, if your passport was issued within the last 15 years, issued when you were at least 16 years old, and it meets all the other DS-82 requirements, it may still allow you to renew by mail. But if your passport was issued more than 15 years ago, issued when you were under 16 years of age, it's badly damaged, you reported it lost or stolen, or you can't submit it because you don't have it, you may need to apply in person instead. The safest move is to check the issue and state, the expiration date, the condition, and the renewal requirements before you fill out a form, make an appointment, or do anything that Now, if your expired passport still qualifies for renewal but your international trip is coming up too soon for normal processing, like within the next two weeks, don't simply put it in the mail and hope it comes back in time. You probably need a passport agency appointment or another urgent processing option based on your travel date and your eligibility. I'll link to our directory of vetted passport couriers in the description and put the QR code on screen. It can help you compare registered passport couriers that may assist eligible travelers with those urgent passport processing logistics. So now that you know whether your passport can still be renewed, the next step is making sure the application itself does not get delayed. Watch this video next for the complete mail-in renewal process and the common mistakes that can slow down your application. And if you need a new passport, check out this video. We walk you through DS-11-2. See you over there. Safe travels.