# US passport: which page to send, and how to renew or replace it

Source: https://dokutrak.com/documents/passport
Author: Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak
Published: 2026-11-07
Language: en-US

> 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.

## 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

1. Your passport book: scan or photograph the data page, with the machine-readable lines at the bottom fully in the frame.
2. travel.state.gov, the State Department’s passport site, for renewal, replacement and status.
3. A passport acceptance facility, for a first passport, a child’s passport, or a replacement after loss.
4. 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.

14-day free trial, no card. Add one only to keep going.