Online Passport Renewal is Finally Launching … Kind Of

Good news, travelers: It's finally possible to renew your passport online … at least for now. 
After announcing its goal of bringing renewals into the 21st century more than two years ago and several short-lived pilot projects , the U.S. State Department on Wednesday quietly launched a public beta test of its online passport renewal system . Starting at 1 p.m. Eastern each and every day (including weekends), select eligible passport holders can apply to renew online. A limited number of online applications will be accepted each day – though it's unclear exactly how many they'll accept. 
It's not quite a full-scale public launch. The State Department officials say they plan to keep testing the system over at least the next few months, scaling up how many daily applications they'll accept to ensure it can cope with increasing demand. 
Interested and eligible travelers can try applying on the State Department's dedicated online renewal page . To be eligible, your current passport must be at least nine years old but issued no more than 15 years ago. And keep in mind: Once you submit an application online, your current passport will be invalid until you get your new one back. 
 

 
This option to renew a passport online has been in the works for years. 
President Joe Biden's administration first put it on the map back in late 2021. The State Department initially targeted a full launch in the fall of 2022 but repeatedly pushed back that timeline . In the years since, the agency ran several pilot projects – first with federal employees and government contractors before expanding to a limited number of everyday Americans – but the last round of testing ended back in March 2023. 
About 565,000 Americans renewed their passport during that final trial period, according to the State Department. Federal officials say that led to significant improvements for this next round of beta testing, like a better tool for travelers to submit passport photos. 
Senior State Department officials are confident that this latest round of online passport renewals will have no bearing on passport processing times even as we enter the busy summer travel season. It wasn't long ago that was a nightmare for many travelers. 
At its worst last summer, it could take three-plus months to get a passport . The federal government blamed the lengthy delays on lingering backlogs of passport applications due to the pandemic and insufficient staff and resources.
After increasing staffing levels, the State Departments insists it's well-positioned to handle the demand. Wait times have since returned to normal levels , and there'll be no difference whether you renew your passport online or by mail: It currently takes six to eight weeks for routine processing – though that timeline doesn't include shipping, which can take several more weeks. 
 

 
There's currently no option for expedited service with the online passport renewal system, although officials say that's something they're hoping to offer eventually. 
The return of an online system for passport renewals will be a welcome change for international travelers, who currently can only renew their expiring passports by mailing in their old passport with an application.
Not every American will be eligible to renew their passport online, though. To submit an online application, you must meet the following criteria: 

Your most recent passport is/was valid for 10 years and you are age 25 or older.
Your most recent passport was issued over nine years ago, but less than 15 years prior to the date they plan to submit their online application (i.e., most recent passport was issued between 2009 and 2015).  The most recent passport can  be expired.
You are not changing your name, gender, date of birth, or place of birth.
You are not traveling internationally for at least eight weeks from the date you will submit their application.
You are applying for a regular (tourist) passport.
You live in the United States (either state or territory). Applicants do not qualify to renew their passport online if they live in a foreign country or have an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) address.
You have your passport in your possession; it is not damaged or mutilated, or has been reported as lost or stolen.
You can pay the passport application fees using a credit or debit card or bank transfer.

You also must digitally submit a passport photo, which was a big pain for many travelers trying to renew online during previous pilot projects. Officials say they have used customer feedback from the previous pilot program to improve that tool for this latest round of the online passport renewal system. 
State Department officials have not provided an official end date for when this latest round of testing will end and when – hopefully – it'll launch for all Americans.
 
Bottom Line
The State Department has launched a beta version of its online passport renewal system to the public, allowing select Americans who need to renew their passport to do so online for at least the next few months. 
Here's hoping this is the last round of testing, paving the way for a full (and long-awaited) public launch of online passport renewals for all U.S. travelers.