US passport: which page to send, and how to renew or replace it
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
A US passport is issued by the US Department of State and proves both identity and citizenship. When someone asks for a copy, send the photo page (the data page), flat, fully visible and without glare. If your passport is expired, renew it, by mail or online if you qualify; if it is lost or stolen, report it and apply for a new one.
This page in other languages: Español
What is a US passport?
The data page carries your photo, full name, date and place of birth, sex, nationality, passport number, issue and expiration dates, and the machine-readable lines at the bottom. The signature page faces it.
The passport book is valid for all international travel. The passport card, a wallet-size card, works for land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, not for international flights. Both are accepted as photo ID and proof of citizenship.
Who sends it, and when
The US Department of State issues passports. First passports, and passports for children, are applied for in person at a passport acceptance facility, often a post office or a county clerk. Adults who qualify can renew by mail, or online through the State Department’s online renewal.
Where to get a US passport
- Your passport book: scan or photograph the data page, with the machine-readable lines at the bottom fully in the frame.
- travel.state.gov, the State Department’s passport site, for renewal, replacement and status.
- A passport acceptance facility, for a first passport, a child’s passport, or a replacement after loss.
- The State Department’s lost or stolen passport report (Form DS-64), before you apply for a new one.
Wrong files people send instead
- The cover or an inside visa page instead of the data page.
- An expired passport, when the requester needs current ID.
- Glare from the laminate hiding the photo or the passport number.
- The machine-readable lines cut off at the bottom of the scan.
- A passport card when a passport book was asked for, for example for international air travel.
Questions people ask
Which page of my passport should I send?
The photo page, also called the data page. Send the whole page, including the two lines of characters at the bottom.
Can I renew my passport online?
Many adults can renew online or by mail if the previous passport was issued as an adult and is undamaged. Check eligibility on travel.state.gov.
What do I do if my passport is lost?
Report it lost or stolen to the State Department, then apply for a new passport in person at an acceptance facility.
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a US passport, an unreadable or blurry scan, a copy where one of these is missing or cut off: the holder’s name, the expiration date or an expired document. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.