Updating Your Emergency Contact with the U.S. Passport Agency
The U.S. Department of State handles all passport changes within the United States and offers form DS-5504 for updating information, including emergency contacts. Although emergency contact details do not appear on the passport, they are kept by the State Department. There is no legal obligation to update this information, but doing so before traveling abroad is advisable.
By Jamie Scott3 steps
Passport
Within the United States, the U.S. Department of State is the agency that issues passports and manages any modifications to them. To update passport information, including emergency contact details, the State Department provides form DS-5504. Your emergency contact information does not appear on the passport itself, but it is stored by the Department of State. While no law requires you to update your emergency contact, it is still a good idea to do so before leaving the United States.
Step 1
Obtain form DS-5504 from the Department of State. You can find a link to this form in the Resources section of this article. Print it out and provide all requested information as fully as you can. In Section 18 of the form, you can list the name, address, and phone number of your new emergency contact. Even if your only change is to the emergency contact, you must fill out the entire form.
Step 2
Send the completed form, your most recent U.S. passport, and two recent color passport photos to: National Passport Processing Center, P.O. Box 90107, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0107.
Step 3
Note that this service comes at no cost, and you will usually get your new passport within four to six weeks. An expedited option is also offered. For expedited processing, mail the same items from Step 2 to the National Passport Processing Center, P.O. Box 90907, Philadelphia, PA 19190-0907. The expedited service costs $60 and typically takes two to three weeks.
