Reviewed August 1, 2026

What if my passport supporting documents were not returned?

Wait for the separate mailing, then contact Passport Services if more than four weeks have passed since you received the new passport. Supporting evidence does not normally arrive in the same envelope as the passport.

Your documents may still be in transit

The Department of State returns supporting documents—such as a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate—by First Class Mail. It says they may arrive up to four weeks after the new passport book or card.

When to report the missing documents

If more than four weeks have passed, call the National Passport Information Center using the number on the current official page. Explain which document is missing and keep the passport application details and delivery information available. Outside the United States, contact the U.S. embassy or consulate that handled the application.

This is different from a missing new passport

Form DS-86 is for a new passport that the Department of State issued and mailed but you did not receive. It is not the reporting form for supporting evidence that arrives separately.

Ask promptly about reimbursement

The Department of State publishes a limited window for requesting reimbursement for a supporting document it lost and requires proof of replacement cost. Because its passport pages do not currently state that window consistently, contact Passport Services promptly and follow the deadline it gives for your application rather than relying on an older copied period.

What to keep

Save the new passport envelope, application receipt, status notices, tracking information, notes from the call, and any receipt for replacing a missing document. Do not send personal document numbers to WhatDoIFile.

Official sources

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