US citizens alone are eligible for US passports. Native American citizens and foreign nationals who obtained US citizenship through the naturalization process, must apply for and obtain US passports to travel abroad. They need not renew any documents that are granted to them as a proof of US citizenship but they need to renew their US passports.
When Should I file My Passport Renewal Application?
If you were granted a US passport when you were 16 or below age 16, you need to renew your passport and obtain a new one. Similarly, you need to renew your US passport that was granted to you before 15 years.
How to Renew my US Passport?
You can renew your US passport by mail, if your existing passport is not mutilated and if you can mail it along with your renewal application. If you are in the United States, you may file Form DS-82, Application for a US Passport by Mail and you need to go through the form instructions and complete the form. You may complete this form online and after completing it, you may print the form and sign it. You must then mail the form along with the form filing fee, your passport and other documents.
If you are living in a foreign country, you need to contact a US Embassy or a Consulate in the foreign country, to apply for passport renewal. However, if you are a US citizen living in Canada, you may complete Form DS-82: Application for US Passport by Mail and mail it to the address found on the form.
Though you are allowed to renew your US passport by mail, in certain circumstances, you may not be allowed to file your passport renewal application by mail and you need to apply in person, if your current passport is damaged and if you cannot mail it along with your renewal application. In this case, you need to go to a passport office and file Form DS-11: Application For A US Passport, to obtain a new US passport.