Can You Get a Passport Without a Driver’s License?

You can get a passport without a driver’s license. The State Department accepts more than a dozen other forms of identification, and any one document from its primary list, or any two from its secondary list, will satisfy the ID requirement on Form DS-11. If you have neither, a qualifying witness can vouch for you in person.

Primary IDs That Replace a Driver’s License

Present any one of these at your acceptance appointment and your ID requirement is met:

A U.S. passport book or card, even if expired, as long as it is undamaged
A Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship
A government employee ID from a city, county, state, or federal agency
A U.S. military or military dependent ID
A current foreign passport
A Trusted Traveler card (Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS, or FAST)
An enhanced tribal card or Native American tribal photo ID
A Matricula Consular, commonly used by a parent applying for a U.S. citizen child
A U.S. Permanent Resident Card, also commonly used by a parent of a child applicant

Primary IDs the Agent May Question

A handful of documents count as primary but sit on shakier ground, and the acceptance agent may ask you to show something else alongside them. These include an in-state learner’s permit with a photo, an in-state non-driver photo ID, a temporary driver’s license with a photo, and an Employment Authorization Document. Bring a backup if one of these is your main ID.¹

The Non-Driver Photo ID Route

The most straightforward substitute for a driver’s license is a state-issued non-driver photo ID from your DMV. It’s on the primary list (with the caveat above about a possible backup request) and most states issue it for a modest fee. If you have time before applying, this is usually the simplest fix.

If You Don’t Have Any Primary ID

You can build your identification from two documents on the State Department’s secondary list. One alone is not enough. Two together will work. Options include:

An out-of-state driver’s license with a photo
A learner’s permit or temporary driver’s license without a photo
An out-of-state or in-state non-driver ID without a photo
A Social Security card
A voter registration card
An employee work ID
A student ID
A school yearbook with an identifiable photograph of you
A Selective Service card
A Medicare or other health insurance card
An expired driver’s license

A Social Security card by itself won’t do it. A Social Security card paired with a voter registration card will.¹

The Identifying Witness Option

If you cannot assemble two secondary IDs, the State Department allows an identifying witness to vouch for you using Form DS-71. The witness must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who has known you for at least two years and can present their own valid ID. They complete the affidavit at the acceptance facility, in front of the agent, while you are there. The form itself counts as one secondary identification item, so plan to bring at least one other secondary document with you.¹

ID Is Not the Same as Citizenship Evidence

Identification and citizenship evidence are two separate requirements, and satisfying one does not satisfy the other. You need both.

If you were born in the United States, the standard citizenship document is a birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state of your birth. It must show your full name, date and place of birth, your parents’ full names, the registrar’s signature, a filing date within one year of birth, and an official seal or stamp. A full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport also works as citizenship evidence.²

If you were born outside the United States, use a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization, a Certificate of Citizenship, or a full-validity U.S. passport.²

If a standard birth certificate isn’t available, the State Department accepts a delayed birth certificate (filed more than a year after birth) or a Letter of No Record from the state, combined with early-life documents such as a baptism certificate, hospital birth record, early school records, or a doctor’s record of post-natal care. These should come from the first five years of your life and should include your name, date of birth, and place of birth.²

Where to Submit Without a License

First-time applicants must apply in person. You cannot submit an initial application online or by mail, and the same in-person rule applies if your previous passport was issued before age 16, issued more than 15 years ago, or lost, stolen, or damaged.³

You’ll go to a passport acceptance facility, which may be a post office, a clerk of court, a public library, or another local government office. The State Department’s facility locator at iafdb.travel.state.gov lets you search by ZIP code.⁴

Book an appointment ahead of time through the USPS Retail Customer Appointment Scheduler, which allows scheduling up to four weeks in advance. Appointments run about 15 minutes.⁵

Complete Form DS-11 before you arrive, but do not sign it. The acceptance agent administers an oath and watches you sign. Bring your completed form, your citizenship evidence, your identification (plus a backup if you’re relying on one of the flagged primary IDs, or a DS-71 witness if you’re using two secondary IDs and need one), your photo, and your payment. If you’re using an identifying witness, they need to come with you and bring their own valid ID.⁶

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U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Form DS-11 – Application for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility
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USPS.com. Schedule An Appointment
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USAGov. Apply for a New Adult Passport