To get a passport in Mississippi, you apply through the same federal process used everywhere else: submit Form DS-11 in person at a passport acceptance facility (usually a U.S. post office or a county circuit clerk office) if you are a first-time applicant, or mail Form DS-82 to the National Passport Processing Center if you already have a recent passport and qualify to renew. An adult passport book costs $165 for first-time applicants and takes four to six weeks under routine processing.
Pick the Right Passport Type
You can apply for a passport book, a passport card, or both. The book is valid for all international travel by air, land, or sea and holds visa stamps. The card is a wallet-sized ID good only for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. It cannot be used for international flights, though it does count as REAL ID for domestic flights.1U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passports and REAL ID
Passports issued to applicants 16 or older are valid for 10 years. Passports for children under 16 are valid for 5 years.2U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
Are You Applying in Person or Renewing by Mail?
This is the first decision, because it changes your form, your location, and your fee. First-time applicants must apply in person using Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility. If you already hold a passport, you may be able to renew by mail with Form DS-82 and skip the in-person visit.
You qualify for mail renewal only if your most recent passport meets every one of the following:3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
- You still have it and can submit it with the application
- It is undamaged beyond normal wear
- It was never reported lost or stolen
- It was issued within the last 15 years
- It was issued when you were 16 or older
- It was issued in your current name, or you can provide a certified name-change document
Miss any one of those and you apply in person with Form DS-11 like a first-timer. Children under 16 can never renew by mail; a parent or guardian applies in person each time.
Documents to Bring
Every application requires proof of U.S. citizenship, a valid photo ID, a passport photo, and the fees. If your name has legally changed, bring the original or certified document showing it.
Citizenship Evidence
If you were born in the United States, use a certified birth certificate from the city, county, or state where you were born. It must show your full name, date and place of birth, both parents’ full names, the registrar’s signature, the filing date (within one year of birth), and the issuing authority’s seal. A hospital birth record or short-form certificate without parents’ names will not be accepted.4U.S. Department of State. Citizenship Evidence
If you were born outside the U.S., use a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Certificate of Citizenship. A full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport also works.
Photo ID
Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or military ID, and a photocopy of both the front and back.
Passport Photo Requirements
Photo problems are the single most common reason applications get held up, so it is worth getting this right the first time.5U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
Your photo must be 2 by 2 inches, taken within the last six months, on a white or off-white background. From chin to the top of your head must measure between 1 and 1⅜ inches in the frame. Both eyes open, neutral expression or a natural smile. Take glasses off; the only exception is a medical one, which requires a signed note from your doctor. Head coverings are allowed for religious reasons only. Selfies, filtered images, and digitally altered photos are rejected.
What It Costs
Fees depend on your age, the passport type, and whether you have to apply in person. Anyone applying in person pays a $35 acceptance facility (execution) fee on top of the application fee. Mail renewals skip the $35 fee.6U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
In-Person Applications (DS-11)
- Adult passport book: $130 + $35 = $165
- Adult passport card: $30 + $35 = $65
- Adult book and card: $160 + $35 = $195
- Minor book (under 16): $100 + $35 = $135
- Minor card (under 16): $15 + $35 = $50
- Minor book and card (under 16): $115 + $35 = $150
Mail Renewals (DS-82)
- Adult book: $130
- Adult card: $30
- Adult book and card: $160
Optional Add-Ons
- Expedited processing: $60
- 1-3 day return delivery: $22.05
Pay the application fee by check (personal, certified, cashier’s, or traveler’s) or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State,” with the applicant’s name and date of birth on the memo line. The $35 execution fee is paid separately to the acceptance facility, and each facility sets its own payment rules. Call ahead to confirm.
Where to Submit Your Application in Mississippi
In Person (DS-11)
Most Mississippi acceptance facilities are U.S. post offices and county circuit clerk offices. Post offices generally take passport applications by appointment; you can book one through usps.com/scheduler. To find the nearest location, use the State Department’s acceptance facility locator at iafdb.travel.state.gov.7U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency
Bring your completed but unsigned Form DS-11 to the appointment. Do not sign in advance. The acceptance agent watches you sign, verifies your documents, and submits the package for you. Have your original citizenship evidence, photo ID with photocopies, passport photo, and fee payment ready.
By Mail (DS-82)
If you qualify for renewal by mail, send your completed DS-82, your most recent passport, a new passport photo, payment, and any name-change documentation. Routine Mississippi renewals go to:3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90155
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155
For expedited renewals, write “EXPEDITE” on the outside of the envelope and use:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955
Processing Time and Tracking
Routine processing runs four to six weeks. Expedited runs two to three weeks. Neither figure includes mailing, which can add up to two weeks in each direction. If you want faster return delivery once your passport is printed, add the $22.05 fee to your check or money order. Do not send a prepaid return envelope.8U.S. Department of State. Processing Times9U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
Track your application at travel.state.gov. Allow 7 to 10 business days after submission before the system picks it up. Statuses read “Not Available,” “In Process,” “Approved,” or “Mailed.” Your new passport and your original supporting documents are mailed separately, so expect them on different days.
If You Need a Passport Fast
Traveling internationally within 14 calendar days, or needing a foreign visa within 28 calendar days, qualifies you for an in-person appointment at a passport agency. You will need proof of upcoming travel.7U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency
Mississippi does not have a passport agency, so you would travel to the nearest one, such as Atlanta or New Orleans. Book through the State Department’s Online Passport Appointment System at passportappointment.travel.state.gov. If your application is already submitted and your travel date is closing in, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern; weekends, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern). For a life-or-death emergency involving an immediate family member, the State Department’s after-hours line is 202-647-4000.
If Your Passport Is Lost or Stolen
Report the loss or theft so the passport can be canceled. You can report it online through the State Department’s form filler tool, by mailing Form DS-64, or in person when you apply for the replacement.10U.S. Department of State. Lost or Stolen Passports
Reporting alone does not replace the passport. To replace it, apply in person with Form DS-11 and pay the full fees, describing on the form how the passport was lost or stolen. Include a copy of any police report. Once you have reported a passport lost or stolen, it cannot be used again even if it turns up, and you permanently lose mail-renewal eligibility for that passport.
Applying for a Child
Children under 16 need both parents or legal guardians to appear in person and consent. If one parent cannot come, they submit a notarized Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) with a photocopy of their government-issued photo ID.11U.S. Department of State. Form DS-3053 – Statement of Consent
Teens aged 16 and 17 can apply on their own with the required documents, but a parent must either attend the appointment or provide a signed statement acknowledging the application.12USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18
Name Changes
If your passport was issued within the last year and your name changed within the last year, you can update it for free using Form DS-5504 by mail with your current passport, a certified name-change document, and a new photo. If more than a year has passed since either event, you renew (DS-82 if eligible) or apply in person (DS-11) at the standard fee, submitting the certified document (marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order) with your application.13U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
Mistakes That Delay Applications
About one in five applications is delayed by preventable errors. Photos are the top offender: shadows, uneven light, bad cropping, and head size outside the 1 to 1⅜ inch range all cause holds.
Document errors come next. A short-form birth certificate without parents’ names, an uncertified photocopy, or a hospital-issued birth record will stop the application. So will a missing or blurry photocopy of your photo ID.
Form mistakes are less frequent but still happen. Signing Form DS-11 before your appointment, paying the wrong fee, or using DS-82 when you actually need DS-11 will put your application on hold. Confirm your renewal eligibility before you choose your form.