Special Requirements for Children Under Age 16

Before You Start, Please Note:

Minors under age 16 must apply in person All children regardless of age, including newborns and infants, must have their own passport There are special requirements for All Minors Ages 16 & 17

STEPS TO SUBMITTING A PASSPORT APPLICATION FOR A MINOR UNDER AGE 16:

Read and understand Steps 1 - 7 before leaving this page.

STEP 1: Complete and Submit Form DS-11: Application For A U.S. Passport

Complete Form DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport. To submit Form DS-11, the minor:

• Must apply in person with both parents/guardian(s)
• Must provide the additional documentation required by Form DS-11 (See Steps 2-7)
• Must not sign the application until instructed to do so by the Acceptance Agent
• Must provide his/her Social Security number

STEP 2: Submit Evidence of U.S. Citizenship

The minor's evidence of U.S. citizenship must be submitted with Form DS-11. All documentation submitted as citizenship evidence will be returned to you. These documents will be delivered with your newly issued U.S. passport or in a separate mailing.

Primary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (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. Some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.

NOTE: If you do not have primary evidence of U.S. citizenship or your U.S. birth certificate does not meet the requirements, please see Secondary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship.

STEP 3: Submit Evidence of Relationship

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) must submit evidence of their relationship to the minor applicant.

Evidence of Relationship (One of the following):

Minor's certified U.S. birth certificate with both parents’ names Minor's certified Foreign Birth Certificate with both parents’ names* Minor's Report of Birth Abroad with both parents’ names Adoption Decree with adopting parents’ names* Court Order establishing custody Court Order establishing guardianship

*Foreign documents should be accompanied by an official English translation

NOTES: 

• Previous U.S. passports are not acceptable as evidence of relationship
• Evidence of a legal name change must be submitted, if the name of a parent/guardian has changed since the original documents were issued (e.g. photocopy of a marriage certificate, etc.)

STEP 4: Present Identification of Parent(s)/Guardian(s)

When applying for a minor under age 16, both parent(s)/guardian(s) must present acceptable identification at the time of application.

Primary Identification (One of the following):

Previously issued, undamaged U.S. passport  Naturalization Certificate  Valid Driver's License  Current Government Employee ID (city, state or federal)  Current Military ID (military and dependents)

NOTE: If none of these items are available, please see Secondary Identification.

STEP 5: Provide Parental Consent

Both parents must provide consent authorizing passport issuance for a minor under age 16. See the scenarios below, and follow the instruction that best applies to your circumstance:

Both Parents MUST:	Appear in person with the minor Sign Form DS-11 in front of an Acceptance Agent
One Parent MUST:	Appear in person with the minor Sign Form DS-11 in front of an Acceptance Agent Submit the second parents’ notarized Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053)
One Parent (with sole legal custody) MUST:	Appear in person with the minor Sign Form DS-11 in front of an Acceptance Agent Submit primary evidence of sole authority to apply for the child with one of the following: Minor’s certified U.S. or foreign birth certificate listing only the applying parent Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) or Certification of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350) listing only the applying parent Court order granting sole custody to the applying parent (unless child's travel is restricted by that order) Adoption decree (if applying parents is sole adopting parent) Court order specifically permitting applying parent's or guardian's travel with the child Judicial declaration of incompetence of non-applying parent Death certificate of non-applying parent NOTE: If none of the above documentation is available, the applying parent must submit Form DS-3053 stating why the non-applying parent/guardian's consent cannot be obtained
A Third Party (in Loco Parentis applying on behalf of a minor under the age of 16) MUST:	Submit a notarized written statement or affidavit from both parents or guardians authorizing a third-party to apply for a passport When the statement of affidavit is from only one parent/guardian, the third-party must present evidence of sole custody of the authorizing parent/guardian.

STEP 6: Pay the Applicable Fee

Please see Current Passport Fees and methods of payment.

STEP 7: Provide Two Passport Photos

We can help you submit clear and correctly exposed passport photos the first time - especially when applying for the U.S. Passport Card. See Quality Requirements for Passport Book & Passport Card Photographs to avoid photo processing delays.

Your Photographs Must Be:

• Identical
• In color
• 2 x 2 inches in size
• Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance
• Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background
• Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
• Taken in normal street attire:
  • Uniforms should not be worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily
  • Do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline
  • If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture
  • Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required)

  
  NOTES:

  • Vending machine photos are not generally acceptable
  • See Digitized Passport Photos for information on acceptable digital photos
    
  • Professional photographers, see Guidelines for Producing High Quality Photographs for U.S. Travel Documents

NEED A U.S. PASSPORT IMMEDIATELY?

You should make an appointment to be seen at a Regional Passport Agency only if:

• The U.S. passport is needed in less than 2 weeks for international travel
• The U.S. passport is needed within 4 weeks to obtain a foreign visa

Contact the National Passport Information Center to make an appointment or locate a Passport Agency.

 

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