Passport Name Change - How to Do it Successfully

You will need to get a passport name change if you have gone through a legal name change. How you will go about this will depend on a few different factors. One of these is the date of issue of your current passport. Your situation will dictate whether or not you need to pay a fee as well as whether you can mail in the application.

If the issue date of your current passport is less than a year ago and your name has been changed legally through marriage or a court order, your passport will be reissued without a fee. The passport in your former name, along with a certified copy or original of the proof of name change and the application must be mailed in together. You also need to include two photos which are no more than 6 months old.

If your existing passport in your old name was issued more than one year ago, an alternative form must be used. It too can be mailed if you have the legal proof of your name change. However, in this case, you must also send in a fee along with the legal proof and the recent photos.

If you are unable to supply legal proof of your change in name, you must make your application in person. This situation is treated similarly to applying for a new passport. You will be required to show at least three forms of public records which detail your assumed name along with your birth place and date. They must show use of the name for at least five years.

Children who are less than 16 years old also need to apply for their passport in person and the same documentation must be submitted. The parents or the guardians of the minor need to go along as well. In addition to the other documents, they must provide legal proof of their relationship to the child. Take a look at the other requirements for child passports so that you arrive at the agency with all the information you need.

Receiving your new passport can take four to six weeks or, at times, as many as ten. If you have to have it before then, you may want to have your application expedited. If you choose to do this, you will need to submit an extra fee for the rush service. It is possible to request this with any application for a passport.

It still can take between 2 to 3 weeks for an expedited passport to reach you. If you are in an emergency situation requiring your revised passport faster, you will have to call the National Passport Information Center for a special appointment. Alternatively, you can use a passport expediting service to speed up your name change.

If you are mailing your application for a US passport name change, make sure that all your documentation is packaged securely. It is also best if you send it so that it can be traced. Rather than waiting until you have travel plans, do yourself a favor and send in the passport application form as soon as you actually change your name.