You have selected your destination; you have planned out your itinerary but if you planned to travel anywhere out of the United States you will need to apply for a passport. It is really a very simple process but does require some advance planning. Assuming you have never applied for a passport before it is important to know that you must apply in person.
You Must Apply in Person If:
- You are applying for your first U.S. passport
- You are under age 16
- Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under age 16
- Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged
- Your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago
- Your name has changed since your U.S. passport was issued and you are unable to legally document your name change
If the above statements do not apply to you, you may be eligible to apply for a U.S. passport by mail. For more information, see How to Renew Your U.S. Passport.
Before you start the application process please note that there are special requirements for all minors, diplomatic, official and regular no-fee passports, and if you are an individual applying from outside of the United States.
If you are over the age of 18 and applying for a passport there are a few steps that you must complete.
Step 1: You must obtain the Application for U.S. Passport: DS 11, this application can be found online or at your local Acceptance Facility or a Passport Agency. Whether you choose to fill out your application online or by hand you must complete the forms using black ink only.
Step 2: Gather additional required documentation prior to submitting your application. First, evidence of U.S. citizenship is required when submitting your Form DS-11. You must submit one of the following:
- Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
- Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state*
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
- Naturalization Certificate
- Certificate of Citizenship
*A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. Please note that some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.
If you are unable to provide evidence of U.S. citizenship or your U.S. birth certificate does not meet the requirements, you may be eligible to submit Secondary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship.
Second, you must submit acceptable identification at the time of application. Primary identification can be one of the following:
- Previously issued, undamaged U.S. passport
- Naturalization Certificate
- Valid Driver's License
- Current Government ID (city, state or federal)
- Current Military ID (military and dependents)
It is important to note that if you are applying at an Acceptance Facility with an out of state primary identification, you must present an additional ID document. For example, you are applying in California with an Oregon Driver’s License; you must supply a second ID containing a photo, your full name, date of birth and issuance date. If for whatever reason you are unable to provide identification from the list above, you may be able to present Secondary Evidence of Identification.
Photocopy each ID document that you will present when you apply. Each photocopy must be on plain white, 8 ½ x 11” standard stock paper, showing the front and back of your ID. The photocopy must contain images only on one side of the paper. There should be no additional markings or writing on the paper and you cannot substitute the paper size. You may enlarge the images but do not decrease the size.
Lastly, you must provide one passport photo. There are requirements for your passport photo, it must be:
- In color
- Printed on photo quality paper
- 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size
- Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (between 25 and 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. View the Photo Composition Template for more size requirement details.
- Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
- Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background
- Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
- With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open
- Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis:
- Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily.
- Do not wear a hat or head covering that obscures the hair or hairline, unless worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on your face.
- Headphones, wireless hands-free devices or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
- If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device or similar articles, they may be worn for your photo.
- Dark glasses or non-prescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required)
- Glare on glasses is not acceptable in your photo. Glare can be avoided with a slight downward tilt of the glasses or by removing the glasses or by turning off the camera flash.
You can take the photo yourself. If you choose this route, I recommend using the Department of State’s free photo tool which can be found on their website or by clicking here. Or if you prefer, Kinkos, Costco, FedEx, and CVS Pharmacy are a few locations that provide these services. Prices vary but range from $4.99 to $12. Or for an additional $15 fee, your passport photo may be taken at your local USPS Office.
There are many places where you can submit your applications; many post offices, clerks of the court, public libraries and other state, county, township, and municipal government offices accept passport applications. To find a location near you click here.
When submitting your application you will be required to pay the applicable passport fees for the type of passport you are requesting. You can find a list of those fees here along with prices for expediting services and accepted methods of payment.
Processing your passport application takes approximately 4-6 weeks for routine service and 2-3 weeks for expedited service. Once you have submitted all required forms and documentation, the status of your application should be available online 5-7 days after apply. You may visit the U.S. Department of State website to check your application status.
If you have any questions contact your local Passport Acceptance Facility, visit The U.S. Department of State website or you can submit your questions here and I will do my very best to guide you in the right direction.
