Report the passport lost or stolen to the U.S. Department of State now using Form DS-64, ideally through the online form filler, which cancels it within one business day. Then move straight to replacement.
- Inside the U.S.? Apply in person with Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility.
- Abroad? Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for an emergency passport.
Waiting even a day gives someone else a window to use your document.
Key Takeaways
Reporting a stolen passport through Form DS-64 cancels it within one business day, but only Form DS-11, filed in person, gets you a replacement.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Report first, always | File Form DS-64 online immediately to cancel the passport and stop unauthorized use. |
| Replacement needs DS-11 | Apply in person inside the U.S., or at an embassy or consulate abroad. |
| Abroad moves fast with proof | Documented flights and a police report help embassies prioritize emergency passports. |
| Cancellation is permanent | A passport entered into CLASP cannot be reactivated, even if you later find it. |
| Passportcenter.ai fills the gaps | Use its checklists and expedited referrals to avoid delays across the DS-64 and DS-11 process. |
Table of Contents
- How to Report Your Stolen Passport USA Residents Need to Know
- Replacing a Lost or Stolen Passport Inside the U.S.
- Getting a Replacement Passport While Traveling Abroad
- Protecting Your Identity After Passport Theft
- What Happens After You Report: Timelines and Fees
- Forms and Tools to Keep Bookmarked
- Sources
How to Report Your Stolen Passport USA Residents Need to Know
The State Department gives you three ways to file Form DS-64, and one is clearly faster than the rest. The Online Form Filler cancels your passport in the CLASP system within one business day and sends a confirmation email you should save. That confirmation matters later if a bank, airline, or government agency ever asks whether the passport was reported.
If you cannot get online, you have backup options.
- Mail the signed DS-64 to the address printed on the form itself.
- Call the State Department's National Passport Information Center if you cannot access a computer or printer.
- Report at the point of application by telling an acceptance agent when you file DS-11, since staff can often process both at once.
Whichever route you take, gather this before you start: the passport number if you have it, when and where it went missing, a copy of a police report if one exists, and a photocopy of another form of ID.
Pro Tip: Take a photo of your passport's information page before every trip and store it in a secure cloud folder. When you're filling out DS-64 from a hotel room at midnight, that photo saves you from guessing at your own passport number.
Replacing a Lost or Stolen Passport Inside the U.S.
Reporting your passport lost or stolen with DS-64 only cancels it. It does not generate a new one. For that, you need Form DS-11, which requires an in-person visit to a passport acceptance facility, since it involves an oath you must take in front of an agent.
Bring the following:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship (a birth certificate or naturalization certificate).
- A valid form of photo ID, such as a driver's license.
- One 2x2 inch passport photo meeting State Department specifications.
- Payment for application and execution fees.
- A signed statement explaining the loss or theft, especially if you already filed DS-64 separately, since a vague explanation can pause your application while the agent requests that form.
If you have a flight booked within days, ask about expedited service or a same-day appointment at a regional passport agency. Processing speeds change throughout the year, so check current passport processing times before you plan around a specific date. Our guide to expediting a passport walks through which proof-of-travel documents agencies actually accept.
Getting a Replacement Passport While Traveling Abroad
Losing your passport overseas feels worse than at home, but the process is more forgiving than most travelers expect. You still need to apply in person, this time at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
- Contact the embassy or consulate directly to schedule an appointment before you show up. Most post websites list a dedicated American Citizen Services line.
- Bring whatever proof of travel you have, including flight confirmations, hotel bookings, or a return ticket, since consular staff often prioritize travelers with imminent, documented departures.
- Bring a police report if you obtained one. It is not always required, but it speeds up the interview and supports your written statement.
Embassies can often issue a limited-validity emergency passport quickly for travelers facing an imminent departure, though that document typically stays valid for up to one year rather than the standard ten. Once home, you'll need to exchange it for a full-validity passport. Our emergency passport guide breaks down what to pack in a travel document folder before you ever leave the country.
Protecting Your Identity After Passport Theft
Reporting the passport to the State Department stops it from being used for international travel, but it doesn't undo the fact that your ID and personal information are now in someone else's hands.
- File a local police report if the theft happened somewhere police accept them. It's useful for insurance claims and sometimes for visa applications later.
- Report the incident at Identitytheft and follow the personalized recovery plan the site generates.
- Consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus if the passport was stolen alongside a wallet or bag.
- Replace your driver's license and any other ID that was taken with it, and keep an eye on your bank statements for a few weeks.
Pro Tip: Set a calendar reminder to check your credit report 30 and 90 days after the theft. Identity thieves sometimes wait before acting, hoping your guard drops.
What Happens After You Report: Timelines and Fees
Once your passport hits the Consular Lost and Stolen Passport system, it's electronically cancelled and cannot be reactivated, even if you find it in a coat pocket next week. Trying to travel on a reported passport risks detention at the border, so don't gamble on it turning up.
- Standard replacement: Follow current processing times posted by the State Department, since these shift seasonally.
- Expedited service: Faster, for an added fee, and worth it if you have travel booked.
- Emergency abroad: Can move in as little as one business day for imminent departures, though the resulting document is limited-validity.
- Tracking status: Use Passport Status online once you've applied to check where things stand.
Fees vary by application type and whether you need expedited handling, so confirm current amounts on the application page before you pay.
If You Find a Passport That's Been Reported Stolen
Found a U.S. passport that isn't yours? Don't try to use it, and don't just toss it.
- In the U.S.: Mail it to the Consular Lost and Stolen Passport Unit (CLASP).
- Abroad: Hand it to or mail it to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
The State Department will cancel and process it, which protects the original bearer and keeps government records accurate.
Forms and Tools to Keep Bookmarked
Every step above runs through a handful of official pages. Save these before you need them, not after.
- Form DS-64: Reports a lost or stolen passport; the online version cancels it fastest.
- Form DS-11: Required for any new passport application filed in person.
- Passport Status tracker: Confirms where your replacement stands after you apply.
- Embassy/consulate locator: Finds appointment scheduling for travelers abroad.
- IdentityTheft.gov: Walks you through identity recovery step by step.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Form DS-64 | Reports the passport lost or stolen and cancels it in CLASP |
| Form DS-11 | Applies for a replacement passport in person |
| Passport Status Tracker | Checks mailing and production status after applying |
| IdentityTheft.gov | Guides recovery steps after identity theft |
A few habits that prevent most of the delays we see
Organize your documents before you walk into an acceptance facility or embassy: ID copies, birth certificate, passport photo, and a police report if you have one. Have proof of travel in hand if you're asking for expedited or emergency service, and lean on the official trackers instead of guessing at timelines. Small preparation gaps are what turn a two-day process into a two-week one.
— David
PassportCenter.ai keeps your replacement on track
Passportcenter is the alternative to piecing together instructions from a dozen government pages after your passport goes missing. It centralizes DS-64 and DS-11 checklists, current processing-time guidance, and vetted expedited courier referrals in one place, so you catch the small errors, like a vague loss statement or a missing photo spec, that commonly pause applications before they start.
If your travel date is close, use Passportcenter to confirm your document checklist and see legitimate expedited options before you head to an acceptance facility or book another appointment.