Update Your Passport After Divorce in Florida

Which Form You Need Depends on When Your Passport Was Issued

If your current passport was issued less than one year ago and the name change is within that period, use Form DS-5504 (Name Change or Limited Passport Book Correction). There is no fee — the State Department processes it as a free correction.

If your current passport was issued more than one year ago, use Form DS-82 (Renewal Application) if you meet the renewal-by-mail requirements. Standard renewal fees apply: $130 for a passport book. Expedited processing adds $60; routine processing currently takes four to six weeks, excluding mailing time.

If your passport has expired, you may still renew by mail using Form DS-82 if your most recent passport was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were age 16 or older, is undamaged, and can be submitted with the application. Otherwise, apply in person using Form DS-11 at a passport acceptance facility. The adult passport-book fee for DS-11 is $130 plus a $35 execution fee.

Documents You Need

For DS-5504 or DS-82, you need:

• The completed application form
• Your current passport (it will be mailed back to you after processing, canceled)
• A certified copy of the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage containing the name-restoration language
• A new passport photo meeting State Department specifications (2x2 inches, white background, taken within the last six months)

If you must use DS-11, follow the in-person application requirements and submit citizenship evidence and photo ID; bring the expired passport if available.

The certified decree must explicitly state that your former name is restored — for example, "The Wife's former name of [Maiden Name] is hereby restored." If the decree does not contain this language, you may need a separate court order or a standalone name change petition under Florida Statutes § 68.07 before the State Department will process the update.

The Sequence Matters

Update your passport after you have updated your Social Security record and your Florida driver's license. Having a current government-issued ID (your updated Florida driver's license) in your restored name gives you consistent identity documents for the application.

That said, a passport name change is not time-sensitive the way the SSA and DMV updates are. There is no legal deadline. If you don't have travel planned, this can wait until after the higher-priority updates — bank accounts, vehicle titles, insurance — are done. Many people handle the passport in month two or three.

Mailing vs. In-Person

DS-5504 and DS-82 are both mail-in applications. Send them to the address listed on the form (National Passport Processing Center). Use certified mail or a trackable service — you are mailing your current passport with the application.

If you need the passport urgently (international travel within 14 calendar days), make an appointment at a regional passport agency, including the Miami Passport Agency. Appointments are required and expedited fees apply.

If Your Name Doesn't Match Your Ticket

If you have travel booked under your married name and your passport still reflects that name, you can travel as-is. The passport is valid in whatever name it was issued until it expires. You do not need to update the passport before traveling — just book the ticket in the name shown on the passport.

The problem arises when you've already updated your driver's license (your TSA ID at the airport) to your restored name but your passport still shows the married name. TSA accepts both documents as long as they belong to you. Airlines, however, require the name on the ticket to match the name on the travel document you present at check-in. If your ticket is in one name and your passport is in another, call the airline to update the ticket before your flight.

The Florida After-Divorce Checklist walks through the full identity-update sequence — SSA first, then driver's license, then passport — so each step feeds into the next without backtracking.

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