On a U.S. passport application, leaving spaces works the same way as ordinary writing: put a single space between words within a field, but don’t add extra spaces inside a field or between characters that belong together, like the digits of a ZIP code, phone number, or date. Each answer belongs inside its designated box or line, written in neat block letters with consistent sizing so a processing agent can read it cleanly.
Why Spacing and Formatting Matter
The instructions printed on Form DS-11 are short and strict: “Please print legibly using black ink only. If you make an error, complete a new form. Do not correct or white out.”1U.S. Department of State. APPLICATION FOR A U.S. PASSPORT DS-11 There’s no forgiveness built into the process. One crossed-out letter, one smudge of white-out, one stray mark that looks like a character, and you start over on a fresh form. That’s why the small stuff — where a space goes, whether a hyphen belongs, how you write a date — is worth slowing down for.
Use black ink. Print in block letters (all capitals tends to read most clearly). Keep letter size consistent. Where a field has pre-printed boxes for individual characters, place one character in each box with no gaps.
Spacing in Name Fields
Your full legal name splits across separate fields for last name, first name, and middle name. Use normal spacing between words within each field, and match your supporting citizenship document exactly. If your last name has two parts written with a space on your birth certificate, such as “De La Cruz,” write it with those spaces.
Hyphens and Apostrophes
Names with hyphens or apostrophes need to be written the way they appear on your citizenship evidence. The State Department’s internal guidance tells passport specialists to figure out whether an applicant is using a hyphen as part of their name or just to indicate a space between name parts.2U.S. Department of State. 8 FAM 403.1 NAME USAGE AND NAME CHANGES So if your legal name is “Smith-Jones,” write the hyphen. If it’s a two-part last name without a hyphen, use a space. Apostrophes in names like “O’Brien” should be preserved as they appear on your documents.
If You Don’t Have a Middle Name
Leave the middle name field blank. Don’t write “N/A,” “none,” or “NMN” unless the form’s instructions specifically direct you to.
The DS-11 also asks for other names you’ve previously used, including maiden names and prior married names, and it provides space for up to two of them.1U.S. Department of State. APPLICATION FOR A U.S. PASSPORT DS-11 Write each one with normal spacing, exactly as you used it.
Dates, Addresses, and Contact Fields
Every date on the DS-11 uses the format MM/DD/YYYY with slashes.1U.S. Department of State. APPLICATION FOR A U.S. PASSPORT DS-11 March 5, 1990 is written 03/05/1990. Include leading zeros on single-digit months and days. Don’t substitute dashes or periods for the slashes, and don’t add spaces around them.
Addresses go in with normal spacing between words. Street number, street name, apartment or unit, city, state, and ZIP each sit in their designated areas. Where the form gives you a single line instead of separate boxes, keep the parts distinct using commas or natural spacing. Phone numbers and email addresses go in their standard form with no padding spaces.
When to Sign
Your signature belongs inside the signature box, and you should not sign the form before you arrive at the acceptance facility. The acceptance agent has to witness your signature in person. For a child under 16, a parent prints the child’s full name on the signature line, signs their own name next to it, and notes the relationship, such as “mother” or “guardian.”3U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services
If You Make a Mistake
There is no correcting a DS-11. No white-out, no correction tape, no crossing out. If you write something wrong, you fill out a new form.1U.S. Department of State. APPLICATION FOR A U.S. PASSPORT DS-11 Bring a spare blank copy to the acceptance facility. Better yet, fill out the form online at the State Department’s website and print it, which lets you fix typos before anything hits paper.
The errors that most often force a restart are misspelled names, wrong date formats, and stray marks that could be read as characters. Check each name and date against your birth certificate or other citizenship evidence before you write, keep your spacing tight where the form expects tight spacing, and give each answer room to breathe where the field is a single line. Five careful minutes on the form saves the trip back.