New passport tells America’s story A simpler application process and redesign are on the way

The U.S. passport is undergoing a transformation with a new design and novel online application process that will make getting a passport simpler and easier . The new online application process will launch for most first-time U.S. passport applicants in December. The redesign of the passport book will follow in 2028.

“A passport is more than just a travel document,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a recent event debuting the America.gov website , where many Americans can soon apply for their first passport. “It’s an expression of the unbreakable bond between the nation and the citizen.”

The new online process through America.gov will simplify passport applications for Americans. Starting next year, most Americans will be able to apply entirely online, reducing the time, expense, and scheduling demand of an in-person visit and preventing third parties from profiting off unnecessary steps.

“There’s an entire cottage industry that’s built around cashing in on every stage of the passport process,” Rubio says. “American citizens deserve better than this, and that’s why we are partnering with America.gov to build the entire thing from the ground up.”

“You tell America.gov what you’re trying to do, and it walks you through every single step and tells you exactly what comes next,” Rubio adds. The site answers other questions, from where to enlist in the armed services, to how to book a campsite at a national park.

U.S. passports’ popularity soars

Left: A 1783 document that served as the passport for John Jay, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. Center: A couples’ passport from 1925. Right: A modern passport (State Dept.)

The State Department issued over 27 million passport books and cards in 2025, a record high. Half of all Americans now hold a valid passport, up from just 5% in 1990. U.S. passports have evolved through the years, from a letter of intent with an American wax seal at the time of the country’s founding to modern-day books with electronic chips embedded for security.

The redesigned passport book will tell America’s story through enduring symbolism, including the bald eagle and key moments over 250 years. Images inside begin with the Battle of Lexington and Concord, where in April 1775 colonists stood their ground against the British army, launching the American Revolution. Later pages will show pioneers traveling west in covered wagons and honor American innovations from the Wright Brothers’ first flight to NASA Artemis missions that will return astronauts to the moon and pave the way for human spaceflight to Mars