Quick answer
Both parents or guardians normally have to appear in person when a child under 16 applies for a passport. If one can't, that parent signs Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, in front of a notary public, and the parent who attends brings it, with a photocopy of the front and back of the ID shown to the notary. The form must be submitted within three months of being notarized.
When you need a DS-3053
- One parent can't attend the appointment (work, distance or travel), but both share custody. The absent parent signs a DS-3053.
- Neither parent can attend, for example when a grandparent takes the child. Both parents give consent, with DS-3053 forms or a notarized statement authorizing that person.
You don't need one if the attending parent has sole custody and brings proof of it, for example a court order of sole custody, a birth certificate or adoption decree listing only that parent, or the other parent's death certificate.
Children aged 16 and 17 follow different rules: parental awareness, not both parents' consent. DS-3053 is for children under 16.
How to complete it
- Download the official form (link above). Fill it in by hand or on screen, but don't sign it yet.
- Take it to a notary public, with a government photo ID such as a driver's license or passport.
- Sign it in front of the notary, who notarizes it the same day.
- Photocopy the front and back of the same ID you showed the notary.
- Give both to the attending parent, who brings the original DS-3053 and the photocopy to the child's appointment, with Form DS-11 and the other documents.
Electronic (online) notarization is accepted where state law allows it. Bring a printed copy of the notarized form.
The three-month rule
The State Department requires the DS-3053 to be submitted within three months of being signed and notarized. If the trip is further off, have it notarized closer to the appointment.
If the other parent can't be found
If you share custody but can't locate the other parent, you can't get a DS-3053. Instead, complete Form DS-5525, Statement of Special Family Circumstances, explaining the situation in as much detail as you can. The State Department may ask for more evidence, such as a custody order. It decides case by case.
Common mistakes
- Signing before seeing the notary. The signature must be witnessed.
- Forgetting the ID photocopy, front and back.
- A form more than three months old when the application is submitted.
- Bringing a copy instead of the original notarized form.
Questions
Yes. The parent who can't attend signs it in front of a notary public, and it must include a photocopy of the front and back of the ID shown to the notary.
It must be submitted within three months of being signed and notarized.
Yes, where the notarizing state's law allows electronic notarization. Bring a printed copy to the appointment.
Without consent, the applying parent may need a court order, for example sole custody or permission for the child's passport. If the other parent can't be located, use Form DS-5525.
Yes. Once the child's application is made in person, with the DS-3053 if needed, we can expedite it as quickly as 4 business days from when your documents reach us.