Child passport: how to get one for a child under 16

Step by step

1. Fill in form DS-11

   Print it, but don’t sign it until you are asked to at the appointment.

2. Gather documents

   The child’s original proof of US citizenship (such as a birth certificate), proof of your relationship (such as the birth certificate or an adoption decree), and your photo ID.

3. Make photocopies

   Front and back of the citizenship evidence and of both parents’ IDs.

4. Get both parents’ consent

   Both parents or guardians must agree. If one can’t come, bring their signed, notarized statement of consent (DS-3053).

5. Get a 2 × 2 photo

   Same rules as adults, with exceptions for babies. See baby passport photo.

6. Apply in person

   The child comes with you to an acceptance facility, such as a post office that accepts passport applications.

Fees and validity

The fees are $100 to the State Department plus a $35 acceptance fee; expedited service is $60 more. A child’s passport is valid for 5 years and can’t be renewed: you apply again with form DS-11.

Which consent document do you need

• Both parents come: no extra form. Each parent or guardian brings a physical photo ID
• One parent can’t come, but both have custody: the absent parent signs Form DS-3053 in front of a notary. Add a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary
• You have sole custody: bring a certified court order, birth certificate or adoption decree naming only you, the other parent’s death certificate, or a judicial declaration that they are incompetent
• The other parent can’t be found: fill in Form DS-5525, the Statement of Special Family Circumstances. The State Department may ask for a custody, incarceration or restraining order
• Neither parent can come (for example, a grandparent applies): bring a DS-3053 or a notarized statement from both parents, plus copies of both parents’ IDs

Hand in a DS-3053 or notarized statement within 90 days of signing. An electronic notarization works if your state allows it; bring a printed copy.

Documents that prove citizenship and relationship

Only physical documents count. Electronic or mobile birth certificates are not accepted.

For citizenship, bring one of these: a US birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Citizenship, or the child’s full-validity, undamaged US passport.

A US birth certificate that lists both parents also proves your relationship. Otherwise bring a foreign birth certificate, adoption decree, custody decree or court order that names the parents.

If your name differs from the one on those documents, add a marriage certificate or name change decree.

A driver’s license is the most common photo ID. If it comes from a different state than the one where you apply, bring a second photo ID.

Print photocopies on 8.5 × 11 inch paper, one side only.

Book, card or both: child passport fees

Pay the application fee by check or money order to “U.S. Department of State.” Write the child’s name and date of birth in the memo line.

Separate checks for each child are preferred. One family check is fine if the memo lists every child’s name, date of birth and the number of applications. See all passport fees.

• Passport book: $100 application fee + $35 acceptance fee
• Passport card: $15 + $35
• Book and card: $115 + $35
• Expedited service: $60 more. 1–3 day return delivery: $26.87 more

How long a child passport takes

Routine processing takes 4–6 weeks and expedited takes 2–3 weeks. Mailing is extra: about 2 weeks to reach the State Department and about 2 weeks back.

Traveling in less than 3 weeks? Once you are within 14 days of departure, book an appointment at a passport agency or center.

Supporting documents, such as the birth certificate, come back by First Class Mail. They can arrive up to 4 weeks after the passport.

Photo rules for babies and toddlers

• Lay the baby on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with the sheet
• No other person in the photo
• No shadows on the face; full face visible and facing the camera
• A baby’s eyes don’t have to be fully open. Older children must have their eyes open
• No pacifier that blocks the face, no hands over the face, no tongue out
• Don’t staple the photo to the form. The acceptance agent attaches it

PassportOwl’s baby passport photo tool checks the photo for free before you pay. It crops and sizes the photo but never retouches it.

Questions