U.S. passport redesign set for 2028 drops 50-page option

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has unveiled a redesigned U.S. passport scheduled for 2028, with a larger gold eagle, illustrated American history and an eagle that appears to fly as travelers flip through the pages. But the more consequential change is capacity: a single 38-page book would replace today’s 26-page and 50-page options, according to Live and Let’s Fly.

The redesign, called Flight of the Eagle, was developed by the State Department and the National Design Studio, the publication reported. It also raised a separate, unresolved question about whether President Donald Trump’s portrait will appear in the new book.

Rubio presented the passport during the Sept. 29, 2026, America.gov event, according to State Department remarks published by Forth. The unveiling paired a physical redesign with plans to change how Americans apply for the document. Those changes run on different schedules: online first-time applications are planned to begin in 2027, while the redesigned passport is scheduled for 2028, Live and Let’s Fly reported.

A new cover and illustrated American history

The blue cover stays. The country’s name moves above a larger, more prominent gold Great Seal, according to Live and Let’s Fly. The New York Times video of the presentation also shows Rubio emphasizing the seal’s increased size and gold appearance, along with the repositioned country name.

Inside, the artwork follows episodes in American history. Live and Let’s Fly lists the fighting at Lexington during the American Revolution, families heading west in covered wagons, construction of the transcontinental railroad, the Wright brothers and powered flight, the flag raising at Iwo Jima, and American space exploration, including Artemis.

An eagle appears in successive positions across the pages, producing a flipbook animation when the book is thumbed through. Rubio demonstrated that effect during the unveiling, as shown in The New York Times video.

The presentation extends to delivery. Live and Let’s Fly reported that Rubio promised a presentation box in place of the familiar envelope. He also described the passport as highly secure without disclosing all its security features. The artwork and packaging were visible parts of the announcement; they were not a full technical explanation of the document’s protections.

The 38-page passport removes the larger option

According to Live and Let’s Fly’s account of an earlier State Department notice, the redesign would standardize regular passport books at 38 pages. Emergency passports would remain separate.

That distinction matters. This is not a reduction from every current book: the proposed format falls between the existing 26-page and 50-page options. The loss is the ability to choose the larger book, a practical consideration for travelers who need more room for visas and entry stamps.

The department’s stated rationale is production efficiency and reduced waste, Live and Let’s Fly reported. The publication also reported that the department acknowledged a trade-off: some frequent international travelers and Americans living abroad may need to renew more often once the larger option disappears.

For those travelers, page capacity deserves more attention than the presentation box. Standardizing production may serve the department’s operational goals, but its own acknowledgment identifies the potential burden on people who use their passports heavily. An animated eagle does not replace usable space.

Trump’s portrait is a question, not a confirmed feature

Live and Let’s Fly questioned whether Trump’s portrait would be included after examining an image in the upper-left corner of Rubio’s presentation. The publication said the image appeared to resemble Trump; it did not establish that his portrait will be part of every redesigned passport.

The publication distinguished the 2028 design from the limited-edition America 250 Patriot Passport, which it reported is already being offered with Trump’s portrait inside the front cover. Those are separate products in its reporting. The existing portrait in the limited-edition book is not confirmation of its inclusion in the future standard design.

Online applications are planned before the new book

The application overhaul could have a more immediate practical effect than the artwork. According to Live and Let’s Fly, Rubio announced plans for entirely online first-time passport applications through America.gov beginning in 2027. The goal is to make passport and passport card applications accessible through the portal to the vast majority of Americans by the end of that year.

The demonstration included signing in through login.gov, taking or uploading a passport photo, previewing it in the document, paying online and tracking the application with an estimated delivery date, the publication reported.

In the State Department remarks published by Forth, Rubio described the current first-time application process as requiring applicants to identify and print the right form, schedule an appointment and wait in line. That is the administrative friction the proposed online system is intended to address.

But a demonstration is not an available service. Live and Let’s Fly cautioned that the announcement does not mean every first-time applicant can now bypass an in-person visit. The broad access goal for the end of 2027 should not be read as universal eligibility today.

Keep the two timelines separate when assessing the announcement. A planned digital application process concerns how travelers obtain a passport; the 2028 redesign concerns the book they receive. For frequent travelers, the central confirmed trade-off in the reporting remains straightforward: updated artwork and packaging, but no 50-page option.