A person holds a U.S. passport in Lafayette, California, on May 23, 2023. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

The State Department announced Wednesday that Americans can now renew their adult passports online, fully rolling out a system that bypasses the traditional method that required printing out a form and mailing a check.

"By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible," the State Department said in a statement. "Thanks to increased staffing, technological advancements, and a host of other improvements, the average routine passport is being processed today in roughly one-third the time as at the same point last summer, and well under the advertised six to eight weeks processing times."

The State Department launched a public beta version of the new process in June, which is now available 24/7.

The requirements for renewing a passport remain in place through the online system, including uploading a passport photo, paying fees and renewing within a certain timeframe. As with mail renewal, a passport that has expired within the last five years can be renewed online.

As of now, only adult passports are available to be renewed online, and only those living in the U.S., either a state or territory, can renew their passports online.

Rena Bitter, assistant secretary of consular affairs, told reporters Wednesday that the processing time is still six to eight weeks.

"The benefit of online passport renewal is that it's a more convenient service," Bitter said. "We don't expect to have a different service standard for people who apply online versus people who apply by mail. We just want to make sure that we give the American people a choice to be able to do either."

In 2021, COVID-related staffing shortages and other factors led the wait time for passport renewal to balloon to 18 weeks, despite a drop in demand. In 2023, demand bounced back with more Americans resuming global travel, further straining the system. The State Department announced later in the year that processing times had returned to normal.

According to the State Department, 48% of Americans had passports in 2023, up from 5% in 1990.

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