The Department of State says you must complete Form DS-86 within 120 days of the date it issued the passport. After that window, you must apply again and pay the applicable fees.
1. Confirm the passport was mailed
Use the official passport status system and review any delivery tracking. This route is for a completed passport that the Department of State mailed, not for an application that is still processing or an application package that has not reached Passport Services.
2. Wait for the official reporting point
If more than two weeks have passed since the mailed date and the passport has not arrived, call the National Passport Information Center at the number on the current official status page. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the TDD/TTY number listed there.
3. Follow the DS-86 instructions
Passport Services will explain how to complete Form DS-86, a signed statement that the issued passport was not received. Use the form and delivery instructions it provides for your case. Do not download an old copy from an unofficial site or reuse an address from earlier instructions.
4. Act within 120 days
Complete DS-86 within 120 days of the issue date shown in the official record. If that period has passed, the Department of State says you must submit a new passport application and pay all required fees.
5. Separate the passport from supporting documents
Your passport and supporting documents may arrive in different mailings. A missing birth certificate, previous passport, or naturalization certificate follows a different reporting timeline; do not use DS-86 merely because those documents have not returned.
If travel is urgent
Tell the National Passport Information Center about the travel date. Appointment availability is not guaranteed. Outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate instead of relying on domestic instructions.