 |
 |
| Applying
for Your U.S. Passport the Easy Way |
Nationwide
Passport Office Search |
| |
Passport
Forms |
Other
Than at Passport Agencies, Where Can I Apply for a Passport?
You can apply for a passport at many Federal
and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal
offices, and some post offices.
Over 2500 courts and 1100 post offices in the United
States accept passport applications. Courts, county/municipal
offices and post offices are usually more convenient
because they are near your home or your place of business.
You save time and money by not having to travel to one
of the 13 major U.S. cities where passport agencies
are located.
|
| |
When
Do I Have to Apply in Person?
You must always apply in person if you are 13 or older,
and if you do not meet the requirements for applying
by mail. (See "May I Apply for a Passport by Mail?")
Usually, for children under 13, only a parent or legal
guardian need appear to execute a passport application. |
| |
What
Do I Need to Do to Apply for a Passport at a Courthouse
or Post Office?
Go to a courthouse, county/municipal office,
or post office authorized to accept passport applications
and complete the DSP-11 application form, but do not
sign it until instructed to do so.
You must present:
1. PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP
That is...
- a previous U.S. passport, or
- if you were born in the U.S., a certified copy of
your birth certificate issued by the state, city, or
county of your birth (a certified copy will have a registrar's
raised, embossed, impressed, or multicolored seal and
the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's
office).
If you have neither a U.S. passport nor a certified
birth certificate issued in the U.S....
- bring a notice from the registrar of the state where
you were born that indicates no birth record exists;
- also, bring as many as possible of the following:
a baptismal certificate, hospital birth record, early
Census, early school record, or family Bible record.
(To be considered, these documents must show your full
name and date and place of birth.);
- also, bring a notarized affidavit completed by an
older blood relative who has personal knowledge of your
birth.
- if you were born abroad, bring a Certificate of Naturalization,
Certificate of Citizenship, Report of Birth Abroad of
a U.S. Citizen, or a Certification of Birth (Form FS-545
or DS-1350). If you do not have these documents, check
with the passport acceptance agent for documents that
can be used in their place.
2. TWO PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographs must be recent (taken within the past six
months), identical, 2x2 inches, and either color or
black/white; they must show a front view, full face,
on a plain, light (white or off-white) background. (Vending
machine photographs are not acceptable.)
3. PROOF OF IDENTITY
That is...
- a previous U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization
or Citizenship, a valid driver's license, government
or military ID.
4. FEES
- $60 for a ten-year passport (age 16 and older);
- $40 for a five-year passport (under 16)
These amounts include a $15 execution fee. Make your
check or money order payable to Passport Services. Post
offices (and passport agencies) accept cash, but courts
are not required to do so. If you must have your passport
in less than 25 business days, you will need to pay
an additional $35 expedite fee to ensure urgent handling.
(See "What If I Need a Passport in a Hurry?.")
5. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Although a Social Security number is not required
for issuance of a passport, Section 6039E of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 requires that passport applicants
provide this information. Passport Services gives this
information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) routinely.
Any applicant who fails to provide the information is
subject to a $500 penalty enforced by the IRS. Questions
on this matter should be referred to the nearest IRS
office. |
| |
Where
Can I Get Passport Forms?
Passport forms are available from passport agencies,
many post offices, clerks of court, county/municipal
offices, and travel agencies or by calling the National
Passport Information Center at 1-900-225-5674 (See "Passport
Agencies" section for more information).
They can also be downloaded via the Internet at http://travel.state.gov/download_applications.html |
| |
May
I Apply for a Passport by Mail?
Yes, if you already have a passport and that passport
is your most recent one, and it was issued within the
past 12 years, and if you were over age 16 when it was
issued.
Obtain DSP-82 "Application For Passport By Mail."
Fill it out, sign, and date it.
Attach to it:
- your most recent passport;
- two identical passport photographs (See previous
section on passport photographs.);
- and a $40 fee, and if applicable, a $35 expedite
fee for urgent service. (See "What If I Need a
Passport in a Hurry?" ) Make your check or money
order payable to Passport Services. (The $15 execution
fee is waived for those eligible to apply by mail.)
If your name changed, enclose a certified copy of the
Court Order, Adoption Decree, Marriage Certificate,
or Divorce Decree specifying another name for you to
use. (Photocopies will not be accepted.) If your name
has changed by any other means, you must apply in person.
Mail (if possible, in a padded envelope) the completed
DSP-82 application and attachments to:
National Passport Center
P.O. Box 371971
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7971
Your previous passport will be returned to you with
your new passport.
If you wish to use an overnight service, and the service
of your choice will not deliver to a post office box,
send it to:
Mellon Bank
Attn: Passport Supervisor 371971
3 Mellon Bank Center, Rm. 153-2723
Pittsburgh, PA 15259-0001
Include the appropriate fee for overnight return of
your passport. Please note that overnight service will
not speed up processing time unless payment for expedited
service is also included. (See " What If I Need
a Passport in a Hurry? ")
Note: *If your passport has been mutilated, altered
or damaged , you cannot apply by mail. You must apply
in person using Form DSP-11, present evidence of U.S.
citizenship, and acceptable identification. (If you
mutilate or alter your U.S. passport, you may render
it invalid and expose yourself to possible prosecution
under the law (Section 1543 of Title 22 of the U.S.
Code).) |
| |
When
Should I Apply for a Passport?
Apply several months in advance of your planned departure.
If you will need visas from foreign embassies, allow
more time. |
| |
What
Happens to My Passport Application After I Submit It?
If you apply at a passport acceptance facility, the
day that you apply, your application will be sent to
Passport Services for processing.
Your passport will be issued within 25 business days
after receipt of complete applications by Passport Services.
Your passport will be sent to you by mail at the address
you provided on your application. |
| |
What
Should I Do if My Passport Is Lost or Stolen?
If your passport is lost or stolen report the loss
on form DSP-64, when you apply, in person, for your
new passport. If you are abroad, report the loss immediately
to local police authorities and the nearest U.S. embassy
or consulate. Remember to write your current address
in the space provided in your passport, so that, if
it is found, it can be returned to you. |
| |
What
Else Should I Know About Passports?
All persons, including newborn infants, are required
to obtain passports in their own name.
If you need to get a valid passport amended due to
a name change, use Form DSP-19. (See " May I Apply
for a Passport by Mail? " for the documentation
required.)
Before traveling abroad, make a copy of the identification
page so it easier to get a new passport, should it be
necessary. It is also a good idea to carry two extra
passport size photos with you. If you run out of pages
before your passport expires, submit Form DSP-19, along
with your, passport to one of the passport agencies
listed on the last page. (Please allow time for the
processing of the request.) If you travel abroad frequently,
you may request a 48-page passport at the time of application.
Some countries require that your passport be valid
at least 6 months beyond the dates of your trip. Check
with the nearest embassy or consulate of the countries
you plan to visit to find out their entry requirements.
In addition to foreign entry requirements, U.S. law
must be considered. With certain exceptions, it is against
U.S. law to enter or leave the country without a valid
passport. Generally for tourists, the exceptions refer
to direct travel within U.S. territories or between
North, South, or Central America (except Cuba). |
| |
What
If I Need a Passport in a Hurry?
If you are leaving on an emergency trip within five
working days, apply in person at the nearest passport
agency and present your tickets or itinerary from an
airline, as well as the other required items. Or, apply
at a court house, county or municipal office, or post
office and have the application sent to the passport
agency through an overnight delivery service of your
choice (include a self-addressed, prepaid envelope for
the overnight return of the passport). Be sure to include
dates of departure and travel plans on your application
and all fees (including the $35 expedite fee).
PASSPORT AGENCIES
Nationwide Passport Office Search
Apply Early For Your Passport!
Boston Passport Agency
Thomas P. O'Neill Fed. Bldg.
Rm. 247, 10 Causeway Street
Boston, MA 02222-1094 |
|
Honolulu Passport Agency
First Hawaii Tower
1132 Bishop St., Suite 500
Honolulu, HI 96813-2809 |
| |
|
|
Los Angeles Passport Agency
Rm. 1000, 11000 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024-3615 |
|
New Orleans Passport Agency
Postal Service Building
701 Loyola Ave., Rm T-12005
New Orleans, LA 70113-1931 |
| |
|
|
New York Passport Agency
Greater Manhattan Federal Bldg.
376 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
Appointment Line: 212-206-3500
(This line is only for individuals in the New York
City area who are travelling in less than 14 days.) |
|
San Francisco Passport Agency
95 Hawthorne Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105-3901 |
| |
|
|
Stamford Passport Agency
One Landmark Square
Broad and Atlantic Streets
Stamford, CT 06901-2667
Chicago Passport Agency
Suite 380
|
|
Kluczynski Federal Office Bldg.
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604-1564
Houston Passport Agency
Suite 1100 |
| |
|
|
Mickey Leland Fed. Bldg.
1919 Smith Street
Houston, TX 77002-8049 |
|
Miami Passport Agency
3rd Floor, Claude Pepper
Federal Office Bldg.
51 Southwest First Avenue
Miami, FL 33130-1680 |
| |
|
|
Philadelphia Passport Agency
U.S. Customs House
200 Chestnut St., Rm. 103
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2970 |
|
Seattle Passport Agency
Room 992, Federal Office Bldg.
915 Second Avenue
Seattle, WA 98174-1091 |
| |
|
|
Washington Passport Agency
1111 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20524 |
|
|
|
For
more information, contact the National Passport Information
Center (NPIC). The NPIC is the only public telephone
number for passport information. Callers can dial 1-900-225-5674*
to receive passport applications, information on applying
for a U.S. passport, or to check on the status of a
passport application, or emergency passport procedures.
Automated information is available 24-hours/day, 7 days/week.
Operators can be reached Monday-Friday, excluding Federal
holidays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard time. Services
are provided in English, Spanish, and by TDD (1-900-225-7778*).
*The cost per minute for 1-900 service is $.35 for
recorded information and $1.05 for operator assisted
calls. This service also includes an optional number,
1-888-362-8668 (TDD 1-888-498-3648), for those calling
from telephones with blocked 1-900 service. These calls
require a credit card for payment of a flat rate of
$4.95 per call.
Department of State Publication 10527
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Revised February 1998 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|