Montanans Can Now Renew Their Passports Online

A couple years ago I was getting my passport renewed and the person helping me with the renewal told me that the process was going to be available soon online. He said when they were testing it, there were so many people that wanted to use the system that it became overwhelmed. That was a two years ago. They rolled out a limited system of renewing passports online earlier this year.

Read More: Montanans Who Need To Renew Passports, Try This Tool

Now it is official, passport renewal is available online. There are requirements to be eligible to renew online according to the U.S. Department of State. Here are few of them.

• If your passport was valid for 10 years and you are over 25
• There is no change in your name, gender, date of birth, or birth place
• No special traveling passports
• You live in the U.S. or territories
• You have your passport
• You can upload a digital photo

These are a few other requirements, for online renewal, but these are some of the main ones. Once you apply for a new passport online, your current passport will be cancelled, until you get your new one in the mail. If you don't meet any of the above requirements you won't be able to renew online, but you can still renew in person or via the mail.

The Real I.D. enforcement date is less than a year away now, on May 7th, 2025. That will mean that starting that date travelers must be Real I.D. compliant to to board domestic flights and to be able to access certain federal facilities. If you don't have a Real I.D., a passport can be used for domestic flights. You can expect a new passport in 6-8 weeks.