# Why can't I renew my US passport online? What's so special about passports issued between April 2011 and April 2017? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335 "2026-04-17T17:44:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/21 "2026-06-06T16:18:24Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > Also so that documents can, periodically, be replaced with more modern ones as security features improve. If passports were valid for life, there’d be thousands of people still travelling on 1960s documents with really poor anti-forgery features. Like so many other things, this is regulated at the international level, with ICAO publishing a set of [standards](https://www.icao.int/publications/doc-series/doc-9303) for “machine-readable travel documents”. Buried in my “stuff” is my British passport from when I was 5 months old. I could see assorted customs authorities wanting a more up-to-date photo. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/22 "2026-06-06T21:33:21Z")
My 17.8 year old son, with a full shaggy beard, traveled with me using his 13 year old passport, from before puberty. Rather to my surprise, the official looked at it, looked at him, and waved him on. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/23 "2026-06-07T00:41:08Z")
If you look deep into the State Department’s website, there’s a page that says something to the effect that “You do not need to get a new passport for your child just because his or her appearance has changed as the natural process of aging.” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/24 "2026-06-07T00:43:01Z")
Yeah, i wouldn’t have been surprised that they accepted a baby picture for a five year old, because basically, the parents are responsible. But i was a little surprised given that he looked like he could have been 20. But i suppose that’s a really common situation. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/25 "2026-06-07T22:34:58Z")
I asked the customs(Canada) people if there was an issue as I had grown a beard since my passport photo was taken, and they said there was no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/26 "2026-06-07T23:23:49Z")
One more question about online renewal. I had to mail my old (not quite expired) passport in with the renewal application. When they sent the new passport, they also returned the old one with some holes punched in it, presumably rendering it no longer valid. How do they deal with this issue when renewed online? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/27 "2026-06-08T00:55:14Z")
They just cancel it electronically as soon as the renewal is submitted , no holes punched. Not sure why they didn’t do that when renewing by mail - they surely could have because they had to cancel lost or stolen passports. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/28 "2026-06-08T00:56:05Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > How do they deal with this issue when renewed online? Speaking to a Canadian online renewal, you are directed to make a diagonal cut on the cover and data page to void the old passport as soon as you click on submit. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335/29 "2026-06-08T14:22:14Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > How do they deal with this issue when renewed online? They don’t have you send the old one away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-renew-my-us-passport-online-whats-so-special-about-passports-issued-between-april-2011-and-april-2017/1029335.md?page=1)