Yes, in most cases a felon can get a U.S. passport. A felony conviction by itself is not a disqualifier, and the passport application does not ask you to list your criminal history. The State Department only blocks a passport when a specific bar applies: certain drug trafficking convictions, active sex offender registration, an outstanding felony warrant, a court order against leaving the country, seriously delinquent federal taxes, or overdue child support. If none of those fit your situation and you’ve completed your sentence, your application is processed like any other.
Felony Convictions That Actually Block a Passport
Only a narrow set of convictions triggers a passport bar on their own, and even those are usually time-limited.
International Drug Trafficking
The one felony category that carries an outright ban is international drug trafficking. If you were convicted of a federal or state felony drug offense and you used a passport or crossed an international border while committing the crime, the State Department cannot issue you a passport.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 U.S. Code 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers Both elements are required. A domestic drug conviction with no border-crossing element does not trigger this restriction.
The ban lasts while you are imprisoned or on parole or supervised release for that conviction.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 U.S. Code 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers Once you have fully completed the sentence and any supervision, you are eligible to apply again. This bar is mandatory rather than discretionary; the State Department has no room to make exceptions while it applies.
Sex Offender Registration and the Passport Endorsement
Under International Megan’s Law, the State Department cannot issue a passport to a “covered sex offender” unless it carries a visible endorsement identifying the holder as such. A covered sex offender is someone currently required to register under any jurisdiction’s sex offender registration program based on a sex offense conviction.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 U.S. Code 212b – Unique Passport Identifiers for Covered Sex Offenders
The passport is not denied. It is issued with a “unique identifier,” a printed endorsement in a conspicuous location stating that the bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor.3SMART.gov. International Megan’s Law: SORNA Statute in Review The State Department can also revoke a previously issued passport that lacks the endorsement and reissue one with it. If you are no longer required to register, you can apply for a clean passport without the marking.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 U.S. Code 212b – Unique Passport Identifiers for Covered Sex Offenders
Warrants, Court Orders, and Travel Restrictions
Your current legal status matters more than an old conviction. Federal regulation gives the State Department authority to deny a passport in three situations:
- An outstanding federal, state, or local felony arrest warrant.
- A criminal court order, probation condition, or parole condition that forbids you from leaving the country.
- A Secretary of State determination that your activities abroad are causing or likely to cause serious damage to national security or U.S. foreign policy.
All three appear in the same regulation.4eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports The warrant and court-order provisions are the ones that come up in practice. If you have finished your sentence, carry no outstanding warrants, and are not under any supervision-based travel restriction, none of these should block your application.
Debts That Can Block a Passport
Two federal debts can stop a passport application even when there is no criminal bar at all, and a third can limit what the State Department will issue.
Seriously Delinquent Tax Debt
The IRS is required to notify the State Department when a taxpayer has a “seriously delinquent tax debt,” and the State Department must then deny, revoke, or limit that person’s passport.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 7345 – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies The base threshold is $50,000 in assessed, legally enforceable federal tax debt including penalties and interest, adjusted annually for inflation. For 2026, that threshold has risen to roughly $66,000. The debt must have either a filed tax lien with exhausted administrative rights or an active levy against it.
Paying the debt in full, entering an installment agreement, or having an accepted offer in compromise will reverse the certification. Paying it down to below the threshold on its own will not.6Internal Revenue Service. Revocation or Denial of Passport in Cases of Certain Unpaid Taxes
Child Support Arrears of $2,500 or More
Federal law requires passport denial for any parent who owes $2,500 or more in past-due child support. The State Department checks this through the Federal Parent Locator Service, and there is no discretion. The hold stays until the arrears are paid to zero and the state child support agency submits a release to the State Department. Some states allow a temporary 30-day release for emergencies like the death or serious illness of an immediate family member abroad.
Unpaid Repatriation Loans
If you previously received a U.S. government loan to return home from overseas and have not repaid it, the State Department can refuse to issue a full passport. You may still receive a limited passport valid only for direct return to the United States.4eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports
What the Passport Application Asks About Your Record
Form DS-11 does not ask you to list your criminal history. There is no box for prior convictions and no background check section. What the form does contain is a sworn declaration where you confirm, under penalty of perjury, that specific disqualifying conditions do not apply. Those conditions are whether you:
- Are currently required to register as a sex offender for a sex offense against a minor.
- Have been convicted of a federal or state drug offense or a “sex tourism” crime.
- Are the subject of an outstanding federal, state, or local felony arrest warrant.
- Are under a criminal court order forbidding your departure from the United States.
- Have a subpoena in a federal felony prosecution or grand jury investigation.
If any of these apply, you are required to attach a supplementary explanatory statement rather than simply checking a box.7U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport (Form DS-11) The form also notes that you may be ineligible if you owe child support or have unpaid federal taxes. Lying on the declaration is a federal crime, so answer honestly. But indicating a past drug conviction does not automatically mean denial; the State Department reviews the circumstances, including whether the offense involved international travel and whether you have completed your sentence.
The supporting documents are the same as for any applicant: proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate, a valid government-issued photo ID, and a passport photo.7U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport (Form DS-11) If you were previously denied under the drug trafficking provision and have since completed your sentence and supervision, court documents showing release or completion of supervised release can help establish eligibility.
A Passport Is Not a Ticket In
Holding a U.S. passport and being allowed to enter another country are separate questions. The passport proves your citizenship to the U.S. government; it does not obligate any foreign country to admit you. Canada treats a wide range of convictions as grounds for criminal inadmissibility and may require you to apply for rehabilitation or a temporary resident permit before entry.8Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Overcome Criminal Convictions The United Kingdom now requires U.S. visitors to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation, and an ETA must be refused if the applicant has received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more anywhere in the world, or has any criminal conviction less than 12 months old, provided the offense has a direct equivalent under UK law.9GOV.UK. Electronic Travel Authorisation: Caseworker Guidance Australia asks all arriving visitors to declare criminal convictions on the incoming passenger card, and Japan maintains strict entry policies for travelers with criminal records. Check the destination country’s rules before booking; the border is the worst place to find out.