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Form I-90: replacing or renewing a green card

Form I-90 costs $465 under 8 CFR 106.2(a)(1), with no fee if the card never arrived, carries a DHS error, or the holder turned 14 and the card expires after their 16th birthday. 8 CFR 264.5(b) lists when a permanent resident shall apply, including when the card is lost, stolen, mutilated, or will expire within six months.

The I-90 is the form for replacing a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551). It covers three situations people search separately: "renew green card", "replace lost green card" and "change name on green card". The regulation treats them together, with one fee and a list of when filing is required.

This page sets out what 8 CFR 106.2, 106.3 and 264.5 say as at 9 October 2026, with the federal statute on carrying the card. It does not tell you which situation you are in or whether to file now. The form instructions and an attorney or accredited representative decide that for a particular card.

Two cautions up front. A conditional resident whose two-year card is expiring does not use the I-90 to get a ten-year card. That is the I-751 process, and our guide to it covers the rules. And the green card is evidence of status, not the status itself: a lost card does not end permanent residence, but the regulations treat replacing it as an obligation and set rules for travelling without it.

The fee, the no-fee cases and the online amount

8 CFR 106.2(a)(1) sets the fee for Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, at $465. It covers replacing "an obsolete card or to replace one lost, mutilated, or destroyed, or for a change in name." Three cases carry no fee (106.2(a)(1)(i)–(iii)):

  1. the applicant "was issued a card but never received it";
  2. the card "was issued with incorrect information because of DHS error and the applicant is filing for a replacement"; and
  3. the applicant "has reached their 14th birthday and their existing card will expire after their 16th birthday."

Online. 8 CFR 106.1(g) takes $50 off forms filed online, and the I-90 is not among the carve-outs in 106.2. Read together, that gives $415 online and $465 on paper, if the form is available to file online on the day. Check the USCIS form page and the G-1055 fee schedule before paying. The arithmetic here comes from the regulation text.

Waiver. The I-90 is the first entry on the list of fees that "may be waived without condition" in 8 CFR 106.3(a)(3)(i)(A). The applicant must show inability to pay by a means-tested benefit, household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or extreme financial hardship, and must make a written request with evidence (106.3(a)(1)–(2)). Our guide to the I-912 fee waiver sets out the tests. 106.3(a)(2) adds that "There is no appeal of the denial of a fee waiver request."

No premium processing. The I-90 is not among the benefit requests designated for premium processing in 8 CFR 106.4(c).

Fee changes on 16 October 2026. The USCIS FY2027 inflation notice lists the annual asylum fee, the Form I-131 immigration parole fee, the initial I-765 for asylum, parole and TPS applicants, and the I-821 for TPS. The I-90 is not among them. The regulation text read on 9 October 2026 shows $465.

Wrong fee consequences. 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(D): a benefit request is rejected if it is not "Submitted with the correct fee(s)", and a rejected request "will not retain a filing date." That matters most when a card is close to expiry.

When the regulation says a permanent resident shall apply

8 CFR 264.5(b) is the list. A permanent resident "shall apply for a replacement Permanent Resident Card":

  1. when the previous card has been lost, stolen, or destroyed;
  2. when the existing card will be expiring within six months;
  3. when the existing card has been mutilated;
  4. when the bearer's name or other biographic information has been legally changed since issuance;
  5. when the applicant is taking up actual residence in the United States after having been a commuter, or is a permanent resident taking up commuter status;
  6. when the applicant has been automatically converted to permanent resident status;
  7. when the previous card was issued but never received;
  8. when the bearer reaches age 14, unless the existing card will expire prior to the bearer's 16th birthday; or
  9. if the existing card bears incorrect data on account of Service error.

Paragraph (c) adds two more. A resident "shall apply on the designated form to replace a prior edition of the alien registration card issued on Form AR-3, AR-103, or I-151", and "may apply on the designated form to replace any edition of the Permanent Resident Card for any other reason."

The six-month rule. Item 2 is the one people miss. The regulation does not wait for expiry: it sets the obligation at "expiring within six months." The expiration date on the card is the number to count from.

The 14th birthday. Separately, 8 CFR 264.1(g) requires an alien not exempt from registration to apply for registration and fingerprinting "within 30 days after reaching the age of 14." For a permanent resident who is abroad on the birthday, the application must be made "within 30 days of his or her return to the United States", with the fee in 106.2 "to replace a permanent resident card." The $465 fee and its no-fee exception for a card that expires after the 16th birthday come from 106.2(a)(1)(iii).

Supporting documents. 264.5(e): the prior card "must be surrendered to USCIS" if a new card is requested under items 2–5, 8 and 9. A name change must come with "evidence of the name change such as a court order or marriage certificate", and any other biographic change needs "documentary evidence verifying the new data." A decision to deny is final in the sense that "No appeal shall lie from this decision" (264.5(f)).

Conditional residents. 264.5(d) says a conditional resident whose card is expiring "may apply to have the conditions on residence removed in accordance with 8 CFR 216.4 or 8 CFR 216.6." A conditional resident whose card is not expiring within 90 days can apply for a replacement for the reasons listed there (lost, never received, mutilated, DHS error, or a changed name or other data).

Carrying the card, travelling without it, and temporary proof

The statute. 8 U.S.C. 1304(e): "Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him." A person who fails to comply "shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction for each offense be fined not to exceed $100 or be imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both." The text is short and the penalty is small, but it is a federal criminal provision, which is why a lost card is not something to leave for months.

Travelling. 8 CFR 211.1(a) lists what a returning resident presents to be admitted. For a temporary absence of less than one year, the document is "a valid, unexpired Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card" (211.1(a)(2)). Two other items in the list matter for people with a card problem:

  • 211.1(a)(5): an expired I-551 "accompanied by a filing receipt issued within the previous 6 months" for an I-751 or I-829, for a temporary absence of less than one year; and
  • 211.1(b)(3): where a returning resident cannot present a visa, card or reentry permit, "the alien may file an application for a waiver of this requirement with the DHS officer with jurisdiction over the port of entry." The same paragraph says that where "the alien's permanent resident card was lost or stolen and the alien has been absent for less than one year, rather than the waiver application the alien must apply for a replacement card as described in 8 CFR 264.5." Filing the I-90 "will serve as both application for replacement and as application for waiver of passport and visa."

Whether a trip is wise with a lost card, or with a card that has not been replaced, is a question for the facts of the case. Absences of a year or more are governed by other rules, including the reentry permit discussed in our advance parole guide.

Temporary proof. 8 CFR 264.5(h): "USCIS may issue temporary evidence of registration and lawful permanent resident status to a lawful permanent resident or conditional permanent resident alien who has properly filed an application for a replacement permanent resident card," and the person "must surrender such temporary evidence upon receipt of his or her permanent resident card." The regulation says "may", so whether and how temporary evidence is issued is a matter for USCIS procedure and the form instructions. A person in removal proceedings is "entitled to evidence of permanent resident status until ordered excluded, deported, or removed" under 264.5(g).

Fraud and scams. Preparers sometimes charge on top of the government fee for help with this form. Under 8 CFR 292.1, only attorneys, accredited representatives and a few other categories may represent a person before USCIS, and notarios are not on the list. Helping with a form and advising on a legal question are different things, and the line is easy to cross. See our guide to who can legally give immigration advice.

Where I-90 filings go wrong

The regulation text points to a short list of avoidable problems.

  • Waiting past the six-month mark. 264.5(b)(2) makes it a filing obligation, not a courtesy.
  • Paying $465 when no fee applies. The three exceptions in 106.2(a)(1) are narrow and each is defined in the text. A card that was never received (item 1) is different from one that arrived and was later lost.
  • Not surrendering the old card. 264.5(e)(1) requires surrender for the expiring, mutilated, changed-data, 14th-birthday and USCIS-error categories.
  • Missing evidence of a name change. 264.5(e)(2) requires a court order, marriage certificate or similar.
  • Assuming a denied I-90 can be appealed. 264.5(f) says it cannot. The practical route after a denial is a new filing with the problem fixed, which means a new fee unless an exception applies.
  • Fee payment problems. Fees must come "from a bank or other institution located in the United States and payable in U.S. currency" (106.1(b)). A dishonored payment means no receipt, and if one was issued it "is void and the benefit request loses its receipt date" (106.1(c)(1)).
  • Treating a green card renewal as the end of a status question. The card shows status. It does not cure a problem with the underlying status. If the underlying question is whether a person can keep or lose permanent residence, the I-90 does not answer it.

Mandatory e-filing. A new rule, in effect since 11 August 2026, lets USCIS require some forms to be filed online after at least 180 days of availability and 60 days' notice. Our guide to filing online with USCIS covers it. Check the USCIS site for whether it has announced a requirement for the I-90 before filing on paper.

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Questions people ask

How much does it cost to renew a green card?

Form I-90 is $465 on paper under 8 CFR 106.2(a)(1), with $50 off if filed online under 106.1(g) where available. There is no fee if the card was never received, was issued with a DHS error, or the holder turned 14 and the card expires after their 16th birthday.

When do I have to renew my green card?

8 CFR 264.5(b)(2) says a permanent resident shall apply when the existing card will be expiring within six months. Other triggers include a lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated card and a legal name change. The expiration date printed on the card is what to count from.

What do I do if I lose my green card?

8 CFR 264.5(b)(1) requires a permanent resident to apply for a replacement using Form I-90. If a returning resident has been abroad less than a year with a lost or stolen card, 8 CFR 211.1(b)(3) says to apply for the replacement rather than a separate waiver. Ask an attorney or accredited representative about travel.

Can the I-90 fee be waived?

Yes, the I-90 is on the list of fees that may be waived without condition (8 CFR 106.3(a)(3)(i)(A)). The applicant must show a means-tested benefit, household income at or below 150% of the poverty guidelines, or extreme financial hardship, with a written request and evidence. A refusal cannot be appealed.

Is carrying a green card required?

8 U.S.C. 1304(e) says an alien aged 18 or over must carry the registration or receipt card at all times, with a misdemeanor penalty of a fine up to $100 or up to 30 days in prison, or both.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • USCIS fees, October 2026: every main form — As at 9 October 2026 the paper fee is $675 for the I-130, $1,440 for an adult I-485, $520 for a standard I-765, $750 for the I-751 and $760 for the N-400. Four fees rise on 16 October 2026, EB-5 fees change on 30 November 2026, and several changes are only proposed.
  • Form I-751: removing the conditions on a two-year green card — A green card based on a marriage of under 24 months at approval is conditional. The I-751 ($750) must be filed in the 90 days before the card's second anniversary (8 CFR 216.4(a)(1)). Missing the window terminates status unless USCIS accepts good cause for late filing.
  • Advance parole (Form I-131): the fee and the travel rules — Advance parole, a reentry permit and most other travel documents on Form I-131 cost $630 under 8 CFR 106.2(a)(7)(iii); refugee travel documents cost $165 (age 16 or older) or $135. Under 8 CFR 245.2(a)(4)(ii), leaving the US while an adjustment application is pending is treated as abandoning it unless advance parole was granted first and the person was inspected on return.
  • USCIS fee waiver (Form I-912): which forms qualify and how it works — Only the fees listed in 8 CFR 106.3(a)(3) can be waived, and the green card petition for a relative (I-130) and advance parole are not on the main list. Inability to pay is shown by a means-tested benefit, household income at or below 150% of the poverty guidelines, or extreme financial hardship. A denial cannot be appealed.
  • Filing online with USCIS: the $50 discount, mandatory e-filing and payment rules — Under 8 CFR 106.1(g), forms filed online cost $50 less than the 106.2 fee unless the regulation says otherwise. Since 11 August 2026 USCIS may require a form to be e-filed once it has been available online for 180 days and USCIS has given 60 days' notice. Fees must come from a US bank in US currency.
  • Who can legally give US immigration advice? — Attorneys in good standing and DOJ-accredited representatives of recognized non-profits can advise and represent you; a few narrow categories can appear unpaid. Notaries, notarios and immigration consultants cannot give immigration legal advice. Form preparers may only fill in blanks for a nominal fee.
  • Immigration scams: warning signs and where to report them — Only attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives may give immigration legal advice, USCIS forms are available at no cost on its website, and USCIS does not take payment by gift card or by apps such as Venmo. If you have paid a scammer, report to the FTC and your state consumer protection office.