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If you are a US
citizen, you may need to apply for a US passport if you plan on
travelling outside the US.
First Time Applicant
To apply for your
passport for the first time, you will need to complete the following
steps:
1. Complete
and Submit Form DS‑11
You must submit
Form DS‑11, Application for a US Passport, in person. You
can submit your application at an
Acceptance Facility,
or a
Regional Passport Agency. Do not sign your passport
application until instructed to do so by the receiving Agent.
2. Submit
Evidence of US Citizenship
When applying
for your passport, you will need to submit evidence of your US
citizenship along with Form DS‑11. All documents submitted as
citizenship evidence will be returned to you; they will be
delivered with your newly issued US passport or in a separate
mailing. Acceptable forms of evidence include:
-
previously
issued, undamaged US Passport
-
certified
birth certificate issued by the city, county or state
-
Consular
Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
-
Naturalization Certificate, or
-
Certificate
of Citizenship.
If you do not
have primary evidence of US citizenship or your US birth
certificate does not meet the requirements, please see
Secondary Evidence of US Citizenship.
3. Present
Identification
When applying
for a US passport in person, you must present acceptable
identification (ID) at the time of your application, along with
a photocopy of the ID document with your application.
Acceptable IDs include:
If you apply at
an Acceptance Facility and submit out‑of‑state primary
identification, you must present an additional ID document, as
well. For example, if you apply in Maryland with a Virginia
Driver's License, you must present additional ID.
If you cannot
submit primary identification, please see
Secondary Identification for more options.
4.
Pay the Applicable
Fee
5.
Provide Two Passport Photos
Your photos 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)
Note: There are
special application requirements for minors under age 17 and for
Diplomatic, Official, and Regular No‑Fee Passports which can be
found
here.
Renewing Your Passport
To renew your
passport from inside the US, you must submit
Form
DS‑82 by mail. Passports renewed by mail in the US may only be
returned by mail to US and Canadian addresses. If you reside in
Canada, you may submit Form DS-82 by mail. If you reside abroad in
any other country, you may renew your passport at the nearest US
Embassy or US Consulate.
Please note: If
your most recent US passport has been mutilated, altered or damaged,
you cannot apply by mail and you must apply in person. If you are
behind in child support payments, you may not be able to get a
passport.
For the latest
forms and information on applying for a passport, please refer to
the
Department of State website.
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