At What Age Does a Child Need a Passport? Rules Under 16 vs. 17

Every U.S. citizen needs their own passport to fly internationally, and there is no minimum age at which a child needs a passport — a one-month-old flying to Europe needs a passport book just like an adult. For land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, and some nearby destinations, U.S. citizen children under 16 can travel on a birth certificate instead. Domestic flights don’t require a passport at any age.

When Your Child Actually Needs a Passport

The answer depends on how you’re traveling and where.

For international air travel, a passport book is required at any age. This applies whether you’re flying to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Asia, or anywhere else outside the United States. Infants are not exempt.

For domestic flights, the TSA does not require identification for children under 18 traveling within the United States, so no passport is needed.¹

For land and sea crossings, the rules relax for younger children. U.S. citizen children under 16 crossing into Canada or Mexico by land or sea can present an original or certified birth certificate instead of a passport.² The same applies to closed-loop cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port: a child under 16 can board with a government-issued birth certificate.³ Children 16 and older on those same cruises need a passport or other qualifying document plus a government-issued photo ID.

One choice to make when you do apply: passport book, passport card, or both. The card is cheaper and wallet-sized but cannot be used for international air travel. It is valid only for land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and some Caribbean countries.⁴ If there’s any chance your child will fly abroad, get the book.

The Age That Changes Everything: Under 16 vs. 16 and 17

The State Department treats children under 16 and teenagers aged 16 to 17 very differently. The differences drive who has to show up, what consent is needed, how long the passport lasts, and how much you pay.

Children Under 16

Both parents or legal guardians must appear in person with the child to submit the application. Both must sign the form and provide photo identification. The passport is valid for five years and cannot be renewed by mail. When it expires, you start the entire process over.⁵

Ages 16 and 17

The teenager applies using the same Form DS-11 but only needs to show that one parent or legal guardian is aware of the application. That awareness can be shown by the parent appearing and signing, by a signed note from the parent, or by the parent paying the fees with a check or money order in their name. The passport is valid for 10 years, the same as an adult passport.⁶

One thing worth flagging: even a 16-year-old whose passport was issued at age 14 must apply in person as a new applicant rather than renewing by mail.⁷

How to Apply for a Child Under 16

All child passport applications use Form DS-11 and must be submitted in person at a passport acceptance facility. There are over 7,500 nationwide, including post offices, clerks of court, and public libraries.⁸ Many require appointments. Bring:

Form DS-11, completed online, printed single-sided, and not signed until the acceptance agent tells you to sign.
Proof of U.S. citizenship. An original or certified U.S. birth certificate is the most common. It must show the issuing office’s seal or stamp, the child’s full name, date and place of birth, both parents’ names, and the registrar’s signature. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Certificate of Citizenship, or a previous U.S. passport also qualifies. Digital or mobile birth certificates are not accepted.⁵
Proof of parental relationship. A U.S. birth certificate listing both parents usually covers it. If not, bring an adoption decree, custody order, or foreign birth certificate that does.
Photo ID for both parents, such as a driver’s license. If your ID was issued in a different state than where you’re applying, bring a second photo ID. Bring a front-and-back photocopy of each parent’s ID on standard letter-sized paper.
One recent passport photo of the child. White or off-white background, neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed, no eyeglasses.⁹
The child’s Social Security number. Federal law requires it on the application. Failing to provide it delays processing, can result in denial, and triggers a $500 IRS penalty.¹⁰

At the facility, the child and required parent or parents sign in front of the acceptance agent. The agent forwards everything, including your original documents, to a passport processing center. Originals are returned separately by mail after the passport is issued.

When Both Parents Can’t Appear

Federal regulations require both parents or all legal guardians to appear in person and sign the application for a child under 16.¹¹ The State Department offers three alternatives.

One Parent Is Absent But Consents

The absent parent submits Form DS-3053, a notarized statement of consent, along with a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary. It must be signed and notarized within three months of the application date. Anything older gets rejected.⁵ As an alternative to a notary, the non-applying parent can sign DS-3053 before a passport specialist at a State Department passport agency counter.¹²

Only One Parent Has Legal Authority

Sole legal parents or guardians can apply alone by providing one of:

A court order granting sole custody or specific permission to apply for the child’s passport
A certified birth certificate or adoption decree listing only you as a parent
A certified death certificate for the other parent
A certified judicial declaration of the other parent’s incompetence⁵

The Other Parent Cannot Be Located

Form DS-5525 is a sworn statement of special or exigent family circumstances. It requires detailed documentation of your efforts to find the other parent — attempts by mail, phone, email, social media, and through mutual contacts, with dates and results for each.¹³ It’s signed under penalty of perjury. It’s not for situations where the other parent simply refuses to cooperate or finds getting the consent form notarized inconvenient. Those need legal intervention, not a DS-5525.

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

You pay two fees: one to the State Department for the passport, one to the acceptance facility. The facility fee is $35 regardless of age or document type.

Children Under 16

Passport book: $100 application fee + $35 facility fee = $135
Passport card: $15 application fee + $35 facility fee = $50
Both: $115 application fee + $35 facility fee = $150¹⁴

Ages 16 and 17

Adult rates apply:

Passport book: $130 + $35 = $165
Passport card: $30 + $35 = $65
Both: $160 + $35 = $195¹⁴

Timing

Routine processing takes four to six weeks, not counting mail time. Expedited processing runs two to three weeks for an additional $60.¹⁵ If you’re traveling internationally within 14 calendar days (or within 28 days when you need a foreign visa), you can schedule an appointment at a regional passport agency for urgent travel service. Walk-ins are not accepted and appointments are not guaranteed.¹⁶ Even for urgent service, both parents still need to consent for a child under 16, and every document on the checklist still applies.

Validity and Why You Can’t Renew

Passports issued to children under 16 are valid for five years. Passports issued at 16 or older are valid for ten.¹⁰ The shorter window reflects how much a young child’s appearance changes.

Here’s what catches families off guard: you cannot renew a child’s passport that was issued before the child turned 16. When that five-year passport expires, you start over with a new Form DS-11, a fresh in-person visit, new photos, and both parents present.⁵

Plan around this when you book. Some countries require at least six months of remaining validity on the passport beyond your travel dates, so a passport that technically expires after your trip may still be too close to expiration to use.¹⁷

1
Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
2
USAGov. International Travel Documents for Children
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Documents – Do I Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise?
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old
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USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18
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U.S. Department of State. Where to Apply for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
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eCFR. 22 CFR 51.28 – Minors
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Federal Register. Passports: Form DS-3053 Statement of Consent
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Office of Management and Budget. Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances for Issuance of a U.S. Passport to a Minor Under Age 16
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. International Travel Checklist