Documents Needed to Apply for a Passport: Forms, Photos, and Fees

Applying for a U.S. passport takes four core documents: proof of U.S. citizenship, a government-issued photo ID, a 2×2 passport photograph, and the correct application form. Below is what qualifies in each category, plus the extra paperwork you’ll need if you’re applying for a child, changing your name, or replacing a lost passport. Getting any one of these wrong is the most common reason applications stall, so assemble everything before you visit an acceptance facility.

Proof of U.S. Citizenship

If you were born in the United States, bring a certified birth certificate issued by the state, county, or city where you were born. It must show your full name, date and place of birth, both parents’ full names, the seal of the issuing office, and a filing date within one year of your birth.¹ Hospital-issued commemorative certificates and photocopies do not qualify.

If you were born outside the United States or became a citizen after birth, the State Department accepts any of the following as primary evidence:²

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad, issued to U.S. citizens born overseas to American parents.
A Certificate of Naturalization, meaning the original document you received when you naturalized.
A Certificate of Citizenship, issued to people who derived or acquired citizenship through a parent.
A previous U.S. passport that is undamaged and was full-validity (10 years if issued at 16 or older, 5 years if issued under 16).

Bring originals, not copies. The State Department returns them by mail after processing, usually in a separate envelope from the new passport.

If Your Birth Was Never Recorded

If the state where you were born has no birth certificate on file, request a Letter of No Record from that state’s vital records office. The letter needs to include your name, date of birth, the range of years searched, and a statement confirming no record exists.³

You’ll pair that letter with early documentary evidence of your birth. Acceptable secondary evidence includes hospital birth records, baptismal certificates, and early school or medical records, generally created within five years of your birth.¹ If you have only one such record, you may also need Form DS-10, a Birth Affidavit signed by someone with direct knowledge of your birth.³

A Government-Issued Photo ID

You must prove you are who you say you are with a government-issued photo ID.⁴ The commonly accepted options are:

A current, valid driver’s license
A state-issued non-driver identification card
A U.S. military ID, active duty or retired
A government employee ID with a photograph

The ID needs a recognizable current photo and your signature, and expired identification generally will not be accepted. Bring a photocopy of both the front and back of whatever ID you present. The acceptance agent needs this for your file, and having it in hand prevents a scramble at the counter.

If you don’t hold a primary photo ID, you can establish identity through secondary means: bring an identifying witness with valid ID who can sign an affidavit vouching for you, along with any supporting paperwork you do have, such as a Social Security card or voter registration card. It works, but it adds friction. If a state ID is realistic to get first, get it.

A Passport Photo That Will Actually Pass

Your photo feeds into facial recognition systems, and the specifications are stricter than most people expect. A rejected photo is one of the easiest ways to delay an application.⁵

Exactly 2 x 2 inches, printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
Plain white or off-white background with no shadows or patterns.
Neutral expression or natural smile, both eyes open.
No glasses. If you can’t remove them for medical reasons, include a signed note from your doctor.
Everyday clothes only. No uniforms, no camouflage.
Head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons (with a signed statement that you wear it daily) or medical reasons (with a signed doctor’s statement). Your full face must remain visible and the covering cannot cast shadows.⁶

Most drugstores and shipping stores offer passport photo services for roughly $15. You can take your own at home if you have a white wall and decent lighting, but the margin for error is tight; check the State Department’s online photo tool before printing.

The Right Application Form

The form you file determines whether you can apply by mail or must appear in person.

Form DS-11: First-Time and In-Person

Use Form DS-11 if you are applying for your first passport, your previous passport was issued when you were under 16, your last passport was issued more than 15 years ago, or your previous passport was lost, stolen, or damaged. You must submit it in person at an acceptance facility such as a post office, county clerk’s office, or public library offering passport services.

Do not sign the form before you arrive. You have to sign in front of the acceptance agent, who witnesses your signature.⁷ A pre-signed form means starting over. You can fill it out online using the State Department’s Passport Form Filler and print it unsigned, or pick up a blank copy at the facility.

The form asks for your Social Security number, both parents’ full names, and any previous legal name changes. If you’ve ever been issued a Social Security number, providing it is mandatory; leaving it blank can delay or result in denial of your application.

Form DS-82: Renewal by Mail

You can renew by mail with Form DS-82 only if every one of these is true:⁸

You can submit your most recent passport with the application.
You were at least 16 when that passport was issued.
It was issued less than 15 years ago.
It is not mutilated, damaged, or reported lost or stolen.
Your name is the same, or you can provide a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing the change.

Answer “no” to any of them and you’re back to Form DS-11 in person.

Extra Documents for a Child’s Passport

Passport applications for children under 16 come with rules that trip up families constantly. The child must appear in person, and both parents or legal guardians must appear together with the child and sign the application.⁹ Every child’s passport is a fresh DS-11 application in person; there is no mail-in renewal for minors.¹⁰

If one parent cannot appear, that parent must complete Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, and have it notarized.⁹ If the other parent cannot be located at all, the applying parent files Form DS-5525, Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances, explaining why consent cannot be obtained. A parent with sole legal custody can apply alone with a certified court order granting sole custody, a death certificate for the other parent, or similar documentation.

Along with the child’s citizenship evidence and photo, bring a document proving the parental relationship, typically the child’s birth certificate listing both parents.

Applicants who are 16 or 17 also apply in person on Form DS-11, but the two-parent consent rules don’t apply at that age.¹¹

Name Change Documents

If your name has changed since your last passport, bring a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order showing the change and submit it with Form DS-82.⁸ If your name changed by some other route, or you can’t produce a certified record of it, you apply in person on Form DS-11 instead.

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Passport

Report a lost or stolen passport to the State Department right away using Form DS-64, which you can submit online, by phone at 1-877-487-2778, or by mail.¹² Once reported, that passport is permanently cancelled and cannot be used again even if you find it later.

For the replacement, apply in person with Form DS-11 and the same documents a first-time applicant brings: citizenship evidence, photo ID, photograph, and full fees. You can’t use DS-82 because that form requires you to submit your most recent passport with the application.

Fees and How to Pay

Passport fees in 2026 come in two parts: an application fee paid to the State Department and a $35 execution fee paid to the acceptance facility when you apply in person.¹³

Adult passport book, first-time: $130 application + $35 execution = $165
Adult passport book, renewal by mail: $130
Adult passport card, first-time: $30 application + $35 execution = $65
Adult passport card, renewal by mail: $30
Minor passport book: $100 application + $35 execution = $135
Minor passport card: $15 application + $35 execution = $50
Expedited processing: add $60
1–3 day delivery: add $22.05

The State Department accepts personal checks, certified checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders made payable to “U.S. Department of State.” The execution fee at the acceptance facility can usually be paid by credit card, check, or money order.¹⁴ Keep them as two separate payments; do not combine them on one check.

1
eCFR. 22 CFR 51.42 – Persons Born in the United States Applying for a Passport for the First Time
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U.S. Department of State. Citizenship Evidence
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U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
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eCFR. 22 CFR 51.23 – Identity of Applicant
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals
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U.S. Embassy & Consulates. DS-11 / DS-3053 – Wizard Results
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USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old
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USAGov. Lost or Stolen Passports
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
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USPS. Passports