- You are under age 16 and you need a new passport or need to renew your current passport
Passport for a Child
Who can applyComplete Form DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport (Online Version) . The US Passport Agency has introduced an Online based application form, this Online style application must be used in all expediting cases. Failure to use this Online application may cause delays in processing times. TIP: This Online application has replaced “Hand Written” applications, YOU ARE NOT APPLYING
ONLINE you are only completing the questions by typing them onto the application the US State Department web site ‘Wizard’ will walk you through the application.
The last page of the application is a Print summary page, please scroll to the bottom left corner of this page and CLICK CREATE FORM you will then be able to print (single sided only) and sign (in blue or black ink only) your application.
Note: The application Wizard will ask you to select fees, shipping and processing options. Select any options to complete the form, no payments will be made and options selected will have no effect on the actual service provided by Allstate Passports & Visas. The Wizard is simply designed to assist the general public in calculating fees for traditional mail in applications. A correctly formatted application should have a BAR CODE on the top left corner, and DS-11 printed on the bottom left of the application.
To submit Form DS-11, for passport application for minors:
- Must apply in person with both parents/guardians at an Acceptance Facility
- Must include the additional documentation required by Form DS-11 (See Steps 2-9)
- Must not sign the application until instructed to do so by the Acceptance Agent
- Must provide your Social Security number
Please make a copy of the unsigned filled out Form DS-11 before going to the Acceptance Facility. This copy will need to be mailed to Allstate Passports & Visas OUTSIDE of the envelope that will be sealed for you by the Acceptance Facility clerk.
When applying for a U.S. passport for minors, evidence of U.S. citizenship must be submitted with Form DS-11. All documentation submitted as citizenship evidence will be returned to you.
Primary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (One of the following):
- Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
- Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state*
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
- Naturalization Certificate
- Certificate of Citizenship
* A certified birth certificate has a registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. Please note, some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) must submit evidence of their relationship to the minor applicant.
Evidence of Relationship (One of the following):
- Minor’s Certified U.S. birth certificate with both parents’ names
- Minor’s certified Foreign Birth Certificate with both parents’ names *
- Minor’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad with both parents’ names
- Adoption Decree with adopting parents’ names *
- Court Order establishing custody or guardianship
* Foreign documents must be accompanied by an official English translation.
Note: evidence of a legal name change must be submitted, if the name of a parent/guardian has changed since the original documents were issued (e. g. photocopy of a marriage certificate, etc.).
When us passport application for minor under age 16, both parent(s)/guardian(s) must present acceptable identification at the time of application. A clear copy of your ID document must be included with the DS-11 form – copy both front and back of your ID document onto ONE side of a paper sheet or onto two separate paper sheets.
Primary Identification (One of the following):
- Previously issued, undamaged U.S. passport
- Naturalization Certificate
- Valid Driver’s License
- Current Government ID (city, state or federal)
- Current Military ID (military and dependents)
Both parents must provide consent authorizing passport issuance for a minor under age 16. See the scenarios below, and follow the instruction that best applies to your circumstance:
Both Parents MUST:
- Appear in person with the minor
- Sign Form DS-11 in front of an Acceptance Agent
One Parent MUST:
- Appear in person with the minor
- Sign Form DS-11 in front of an Acceptance Agent
- Submit the second parents’ notarized Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053)
One Parent (with sole legal custody) MUST:
- Appear in person with the minor
- Sign Form DS-11 in front of an Acceptance Agent
- Submit primary evidence of sole authority to apply for the child with one of the following:
- Minor’s certified U.S. or foreign birth certificate listing only the applying parent
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) or Certification of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350) listing only the applying parent
- Court order granting sole custody to the applying parent (unless child’s travel is restricted by that order)
- Adoption decree (if applying parent is sole adopting parent)
- Court order specifically permitting applying parent’s or guardian’s travel with the child
- Judicial declaration of incompetence of non-applying parent
- Death certificate of non-applying parent
Note: If none of the above documentation is available, the applying parent must submit Form DS-3053 stating why the non-applying parent/guardian’s consent cannot be obtained.
Government Fees for applicants under 16 years old: check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State” for $140, if applying for a Passport Book or $155, if applying for a Passport Book and Card
Your Photograph Must Be:
- Identical
- In color
- 2 x 2 inches in size
- Taken within the past 6 months, showing the child’s current appearance
- Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background
- Taken without eye glasses
Complete the Letter of Authorization for Allstate Passports & Visas.
- Must list your full legal name
- Must have your original signature and date
- Must be included with the DS-11 Application
As a parent or legal guardian completing this form on behalf of a minor you must sign the Letter of Authorization as follows:
- Write child’s full name in the “Applicant Name” section
- Sign yourself on the signature line and write words “mother”, “father” or “legal guardian” next to the signature.
Please sign two Letters of Authorization with original signature (BLUE or BLACK ink ONLY). One letter will be included with the documents in the sealed envelope and a second letter will need to be mailed to Allstate Passports & Visas OUTSIDE of the envelope that will be sealed for you by the Acceptance Facility clerk.
24-72 hours expedited passport services require proof of international travel within 14 days (or 4 weeks, if you require foreign visas).
Proof of travel may be one of the following:
- Flight itinerary showing an international departure
- A letter from your employer confirming the need to travel in the immediate future (sample)
For faster passport renewal for minors and accurate tracking we recommend using FedEx. Please mail the envelope sealed by the Acceptance
Facility agent along with a copy of your filled out Form DS-11 and Letter of Authorization to Allstate Passports & Visas at this address:
Allstate Passports & Visas
8201 164th Ave NE, Suite 200
Redmond, WA 98052
Tel: (206) 522-5995
Passport for a Child FAQ
You and your child may have different last names, as long as the parental relationship document lists your full name. If your name has changed from that on the parental relationship document, please submit proof of your legal name change (e.g. marriage certificate or court order).
No. You must obtain a certified Birth Certificate in order to apply for your child's passport. Vital Statistics Office of the state of the child's birth can issue a certified Birth Certificate.
Expedited online ordering of certified birth certificate is also available through VitalCheck at the following website: https://www.vitalchek.com
A parent or legal guardian may sign the passport if the child is too young to sign his/her own name. To do so, a parent or legal guardian must print the child’s name and sign his or her own name in the space provided for the signature. The parent or legal guardian must also write his or her relationship to the child in parenthesis next to the signature (e.g., parent or legal guardian).
When completing your child's passport application, you should write "zeros" in the spaces provided for the social security number.
You will need to submit a statement, signed and dated, which includes the phrase, “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the following is true and correct: (Child's full name) has never been issued a Social Security number by the Social Security Administration.”
Parents may enroll their U.S. citizen children under the age of 18 in the Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP), one of the Department of State's most important tools for preventing international parental child abduction. If a passport application is submitted for a child who is enrolled in CPIAP, the Department attempts to alert the parent or parents to verify whether the parents approve passport issuance.
You cannot renew your child's passport. If your child is under age 16, he/she must appear in person with you and the child's other parent or guardian to apply. A child's application must be submitted in person at a passport agency or authorized passport application acceptance facility.