Baby Passport: Parent Consent, Documents, and Photo Rules

Getting a passport for a baby takes an in-person appointment, both parents’ signatures, a certified birth certificate, a photo that meets strict rules, and $135 in fees for the passport book. Routine processing runs four to six weeks, not counting mail time in either direction, and children under 16 cannot use the adult mail-in renewal process — every application, including a first passport for a newborn, goes through Form DS-11 in person.

Both Parents Have to Sign

The rule that catches most families off guard is the two-parent consent requirement. Both parents or legal guardians must appear in person at the acceptance facility with the child and sign the application. The State Department built this rule to prevent international parental child abduction and enforces it strictly.

If One Parent Cannot Come

The absent parent completes Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, in front of a notary public, then hands over a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary.¹ The parent going to the appointment brings both the notarized DS-3053 and the ID copy.

If You Cannot Find the Other Parent

DS-3053 requires the other parent’s signature, so it won’t work when you have no way to reach them. In that situation, submit Form DS-5525, Statement of Special Family Circumstances, explaining why consent cannot be obtained. The State Department may ask for supporting evidence such as a custody order, an incarceration record, or a restraining order before approving the passport.¹

If You Are the Sole Parent or Guardian

A single parent or guardian can apply alone by providing one of these documents:

A court order granting sole legal custody or specific permission to apply for the child’s passport
A certified birth certificate or adoption decree listing only one parent or guardian
A certified death certificate showing the other parent has died
A certified judicial declaration finding the other parent legally incompetent

Any of these replaces the need for a DS-3053 or DS-5525.²

If Neither Parent Can Attend

A third party such as a grandparent can bring the child. Both parents must provide a notarized DS-3053 or a notarized written statement authorizing that person to apply, along with photocopies of both parents’ photo IDs. If only one parent provides authorization, that parent must also show proof of sole custody.¹

Documents to Bring

Every document must be an original or a certified copy. Photocopies of the originals will not be accepted in place of the real thing, so start gathering everything early — ordering a certified birth certificate from a vital records office can take weeks on its own.

Proof of U.S. Citizenship

For a baby born in the U.S., that means a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state where the birth was registered. It must list the child’s full name, date and place of birth, and both parents’ full names, and it must carry the registrar’s signature, the filing date (within a year of birth), and the official seal or stamp.³ The decorative hospital birth certificate with tiny footprints does not qualify. You need the government-issued certified copy.

For a baby born abroad to U.S. citizen parents, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Citizenship, or a Certificate of Naturalization all work, as does a previous full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport.³

Proof of the Parental Relationship

A certified birth certificate listing both parents doubles as both citizenship evidence and proof of the parental relationship. If the citizenship document does not name the parents, bring a separate document establishing the relationship, such as a court order of adoption or legal guardianship.

Parent IDs

Every parent or guardian appearing at the appointment needs a valid government-issued photo ID (a driver’s license or a current U.S. passport both work), plus a photocopy of the front and back. The photocopy goes into the application package.

The Child’s Social Security Number

Federal law requires the child’s Social Security number on Form DS-11. Leaving it off can delay or deny the application and trigger a $500 IRS penalty. If the child does not yet have an SSN, include a signed statement declaring under penalty of perjury that the child has never been issued one.⁴

Form DS-11 — Complete but Unsigned

Fill it out before the appointment. Do not sign it. You have to sign under oath in front of the acceptance agent.⁵ A pre-signed form gets rejected and you start over.

The Photo Is the Hard Part

Passport photos have to be 2 inches by 2 inches, in color, taken within the last six months, against a plain white or off-white background with no shadows, texture, or lines. The child’s head must measure between 1 and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.⁶

Getting a usable shot of an infant is what trips people up. The State Department suggests laying the baby on a plain white or off-white sheet and photographing from directly above.⁶ A car seat draped in a white sheet works too. The key rules:

A newborn’s eyes do not need to be fully open. Older children must have their eyes open.
No hands, slings, or visible car seat in the frame.
No pacifiers, hats, headbands, or toys. Religious head coverings are the only exception.
Even lighting with no shadows on the face or background.

Pharmacies and retail stores charge roughly $7 to $18 for passport photo services. You can also shoot it yourself with a phone, but rejections are common. If you go that route, use natural light, skip the flash, and measure the head size against the required range before you print.

The Appointment

The child and the attending parent or parents show up in person at a passport acceptance facility. Most of these sit inside post offices, public libraries, clerks of court, and other local government offices.⁷ Search by zip code on the State Department’s site, and call ahead — many facilities require an appointment.

At the visit, the acceptance agent reviews the DS-11, citizenship evidence, proof of the parental relationship, parent IDs with photocopies, and the photo. You sign the application under oath. The agent collects the fees and mails the package to the State Department. Your original citizenship documents come back by mail, separately from the finished passport.

Fees, Timing, and What You Actually Get

The passport book for a child under 16 costs $135: a $100 application fee to the State Department plus a $35 execution fee to the acceptance facility.⁸ Expedited service adds $60, and 1-to-2-day delivery of the finished book adds $22.05.

Current processing times:

Routine: 4 to 6 weeks
Expedited: 2 to 3 weeks

Neither figure includes mail time in either direction.⁹ Times stretch during spring and summer travel season, so apply well ahead of any planned trip.

A passport card is a cheaper wallet-sized alternative — $15 plus the $35 execution fee, or $50 total — but it only works for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries. You cannot fly internationally with just a card.¹⁰ Applying for both together costs $115 plus the $35 execution fee, or $150.⁸ Both are valid for five years when issued to a child under 16.¹¹

Because a child’s passport is only valid for five years, there is no mail renewal. When it expires, you repeat the full DS-11 process with a new photo and full fees.¹¹

Life-or-Death Emergency Travel

If a family crisis requires you to travel internationally within two weeks, you may qualify for an emergency appointment at a regional passport agency. The State Department limits this service to situations where an immediate family member abroad has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. Immediate family means a parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. Aunts, uncles, and cousins do not qualify.¹²

You will need documentation of the emergency (a death certificate, mortuary statement, or signed letter on hospital letterhead from a doctor), proof of imminent international travel such as a flight itinerary, and the standard application materials. Book online if you can. If you cannot, call 1-877-487-2778 weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern, or 202-647-4000 on evenings, weekends, and federal holidays.¹²

Checking on the Application

You can track the application at the State Department’s passport status portal using the child’s last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of the Social Security number on the application.¹³ Give it a week or two after your appointment before you start checking — the acceptance facility has to mail the package and the processing center has to log it in before anything shows up.

1
U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
2
U.S. Department of State. Statement of Consent – U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child
3
U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
4
U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
5
U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
6
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
7
U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility
8
U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
9
U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
10
U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
11
USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18
12
U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if you Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
13
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Application Status