A passport for your child under 16.

Complete the DS-11 application form

The passport office only accepts the DS-11 completed online. Open the online DS-11 form, then fill it out fully, including travel details and emergency contact information. Review and correct your form, then print 2 copies. Do not sign the form until you are in front of an Application Acceptance Agent or County Court Clerk and are instructed to sign. Parents of the minor will be asked to sign. If a previous U.S. passport was lost, select the lost or stolen passport option.

Authorization Letters

Complete two Authorization Letters, check the 2 option boxes you prefer, and the applicant must sign and date both copies. The courier company name, Global VIP Services, at the bottom of the form must be handwritten. Hand one Authorization Letter to the post office and the second one to us. Open the Global VIP Letter of Authorization

Proof of U.S. citizenship

Prove the child's U.S. citizenship with any one of the following, as an original:

• Certified U.S. birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state, showing the applicant's and parents' details
• Previous expiring or expired U.S. passport, undamaged and unaltered
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
• Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization

Proof of parental relationship

The parents must submit evidence that lists them as parents of the minor. For example:

• Certified U.S. birth certificate
• Certified foreign birth certificate, with a certified translation if it is not in English
• Adoption decree
• Divorce or custody decree
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. citizen (FS-240)

Photo identification, both parents

Each parent presents one primary photo ID and submits clear photocopies, front and back:

• Valid driver's license (plus a second ID if it was issued in a different state than where you apply)
• Current, undamaged U.S. passport issued less than 15 years ago

Proof of departure

A copy of your round-trip ticket (e-ticket) issued by the travel agency or the airline. To expedite the application, your travel date must be within 2 weeks of the application date.

Photographs

2 color passport-style photos, 2 by 2 inches, on a white background: full face, fully developed, no glasses, not smiling, no shadows, both eyes open. The measurement from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead must be 1 to 1 1/4 inches. We take compliant photos in our office.

Parental consent

Minors under 16 must attend in person with both parents at the acceptance facility. Both parents must show their original state-issued ID or driver's license and submit copies, front and back.

• If one parent is absent or cannot appear, bring a signed, notarized DS-3053 consenting to issuance, with a clear photocopy of that parent's ID, front and back.
• If the minor has a valid state-issued photo ID, present it along with a photocopy, front and back.

Government fee $186.87

Pay by check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State. If you would also like a passport card, the total fee is $201.87.

Application acceptance facility

Present the items above to the authorized agent at an acceptance facility near you for approval, and let the agent know you are using an expediting service to hand-carry your application. You pay the $35.00 application execution fee to the agent. The agent then seals your items in an envelope marked "To Be Opened by U.S. Passport Office Only" and returns it to you. Do not open it, or the application becomes invalid.

• This sealed envelope is time sensitive and must be presented to the Passport Office within 5 days of execution.