You can get a U.S. passport without a photo ID. The State Department accepts a wide list of secondary documents in place of a driver’s license or other primary photo identification, and when those aren’t enough on their own, an identifying witness can appear with you and swear to your identity under oath.1eCFR. 22 CFR 51.23 – Identity of Applicant The trick is bringing the right combination to your appointment.
First, Check Whether You Already Have a Primary ID
The State Department’s primary ID list is broader than most people assume, and it’s worth reading before you go looking for workarounds. An expired but undamaged U.S. passport still qualifies. So do a Certificate of Naturalization, a Certificate of Citizenship, a current foreign passport, a military ID, a Trusted Traveler card like Global Entry, and a government employee ID from any level of government.2U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
A few IDs sit in a gray area where the agent may ask for something extra: an in-state learner’s permit with a photo, an in-state non-driver ID with a photo, a temporary driver’s license with a photo, and an Employment Authorization Document. If one of those is your only photo ID, bring secondary documents as backup.2U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
Secondary Identification: What Counts and How Much You Need
If you have no primary ID at all, you’ll need at least two items from the State Department’s secondary identification list. The governing regulation gives passport acceptance agents broad discretion to accept identifying evidence they consider sufficient, and that evidence does not have to include a photo.1eCFR. 22 CFR 51.23 – Identity of Applicant
Acceptable secondary IDs include:2U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
- Out-of-state driver’s license or enhanced driver’s license with a photo
- Learner’s or temporary driver’s permit (even without a photo)
- Out-of-state or in-state non-driver ID
- Temporary driver’s license (even without a photo)
- Social Security card
- Voter registration card
- Employee work ID
- Student ID
- School yearbook with an identifiable photograph
- Selective Service (draft) card
- Medicare or other health card
- Expired driver’s license
Agents look for consistency across your documents. Matching names and birth dates on two or more items build a picture that you are who you say you are. Bring more than the minimum if you can. If you can only scrape together one secondary document, plan on an identifying witness to fill the gap.
Bringing an Identifying Witness
When your paperwork isn’t going to be enough on its own, you can bring an identifying witness to the appointment. The witness signs Form DS-71, a sworn affidavit attesting to your identity, in front of the passport acceptance agent. Anyone being paid to help with your application is disqualified from acting as the witness.3eCFR. 22 CFR 51.24 – Affidavit of Identifying Witness
The witness must bring their own government-issued photo ID and provide a photocopy of both sides. Form DS-71 itself is only available at the acceptance facility or passport agency, so you can’t download and pre-sign it. The agent hands it over, administers the oath, and files the signed affidavit with your application.2U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
Choose a witness who actually knows you. A casual acquaintance who fumbles the basics about your background weakens the application. Pick someone who can speak about you with genuine familiarity.
Citizenship Proof Is a Separate Requirement
Identity and citizenship are two different boxes, and clearing one does nothing for the other. Even with strong identification, you still need documents that prove you’re a U.S. citizen. Primary citizenship evidence includes:4U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
- If you were born in the U.S., a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state of birth. It must show your full name, date and place of birth, your parent(s)’ full names, the registrar’s signature, and an official seal or stamp, and it must have been filed within one year of birth.
- If you were born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a Certificate of Citizenship.
- If you naturalized, a Certificate of Naturalization.
- For any applicant, a previous full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport.
If none of those exist, there’s a secondary path: a delayed birth certificate (filed more than a year after birth) combined with early public or private records from the first five years of your life, such as a baptismal certificate, hospital birth record, census record, or early school records. If no birth certificate was ever filed, you’ll need a Letter of No Record from the state where you were born, along with those early-life documents.4U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
At the Appointment
First-time applicants use Form DS-11 and must apply in person at a passport acceptance facility.5USAGov. Apply for a New Adult Passport Fill the form out in black ink but do not sign it beforehand; the acceptance agent has to watch you sign.6U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport DS-11 Acceptance facilities are located at post offices, public libraries, clerks of court offices, and other local government buildings, and the State Department’s locator at iafdb.travel.state.gov lets you search by zip code or city.7U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility Search Most require an appointment, so call ahead.
If regular hours don’t work, the State Department periodically holds special passport acceptance fairs on evenings and weekends aimed specifically at first-time applicants and anyone who has to use Form DS-11.8U.S. Department of State. Special Passport Acceptance Fairs
Urgent International Travel Without Photo ID
If you have to travel internationally within 14 days and don’t have primary photo ID, the situation gets harder. Regional passport agencies handle urgent cases by appointment only, and you can schedule one by calling 1-877-487-2778. You’ll need proof of imminent international travel, like flight itineraries or hotel reservations.9U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
There’s also a building-security catch. Passport agencies require government-issued ID to enter, which is a problem for applicants without one. Call the National Passport Information Center before your appointment to work out what you can bring. An identifying witness accompanying you, plus as many secondary documents as you can gather, will strengthen your case, but same-day approval is not guaranteed when the identification picture is incomplete.
If the State Department Requests More After You Apply
Applications leaning on secondary ID or an identifying witness draw closer scrutiny. If the State Department sends a letter or email asking for more, you have 90 days to respond, and your application stays on hold until you do.10U.S. Department of State. Respond to a Passport Letter or Email Reply as soon as you can, because processing doesn’t resume until they have what they need. Gathering everything thoroughly before your appointment is always faster than answering a follow-up later.