State Department Sets In-Person Passport Application Rules

Adults with lost, stolen, damaged, or older passports must now apply in person at an approved acceptance facility.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Immigration

State Department Sets In-Person Passport Application Rules

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The U.S. Department of State has published requirements for adults applying in person for a passport. Applicants whose passport was lost, stolen, damaged, issued more than 15 years ago, or issued when they were under 16 must visit an approved acceptance facility.

Why it matters

The rules change how many adult passport holders must renew or replace their documents, requiring a visit to an acceptance facility instead of mail or online submission. Separately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection ended routine stamping of passports for travelers entering the country.

Adult passports carry a 10-year validity period, while passports issued to minors last five years. The extraction does not indicate how many applicants fall into the in-person categories or whether processing times will change.

The players

U.S. Department of State

The federal agency responsible for issuing U.S. passports and setting application requirements for citizens abroad and at home.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security that manages border entry and exit processing for travelers into the United States.

The details

Adults applying in person must visit an approved acceptance facility, where staff verify identity, collect biometric information, and process original documentation. Separately, CBP ended routine passport stamping for travelers entering the United States, per a bulletin published October 1, 2026, which CBP described as part of a broader modernization of border management.

The State Department listed the in-person application categories in 2026.
CBP's bulletin ending routine passport stamping was published October 1, 2026.

Political Context

The in-person requirements build on the existing 10-year adult validity period and five-year limit for minors. CBP's end to routine stamping reflects a separate border-management modernization effort described in its bulletin.

Adults whose passports were lost, stolen, damaged, or issued more than 15 years ago must visit an approved acceptance facility rather than renewing by mail or online. Travelers entering the United States will no longer receive routine passport stamps.

The takeaway

Adults should check whether their passport falls into an in-person category before scheduling a renewal. Travelers should not expect a stamp at U.S. entry under the new CBP policy.