A first-time U.S. passport application is done in person on Form DS-11 at an acceptance facility, with proof of U.S. citizenship, a photo ID, a 2-by-2-inch passport photo, and $165 in fees for an adult passport book. Routine processing takes about four to six weeks after the processing center receives your paperwork, not counting mail time on either end. The passport book is valid for ten years once you turn 16.
Who Has to Apply in Person
“First-time” is broader than it sounds. You have to use Form DS-11 and appear in person if any of the following is true:
- You have never been issued a U.S. passport book or card.
- Your most recent passport was issued before your 16th birthday.
- Your most recent passport was issued more than 15 years ago.
- Your most recent passport was lost, stolen, or damaged.
If none of that applies and your current passport is undamaged, issued when you were 16 or older, and less than 15 years old, you can renew by mail on Form DS-82 instead. Everyone else follows the process below.1U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
Two legal situations will block a passport even for citizens who otherwise qualify. Owing $2,500 or more in past-due child support triggers a mandatory denial until the debt is resolved.2U.S. Department of State. Pay Your Child Support Before Applying for a Passport A federal or state drug felony that involved crossing an international border blocks a passport for the length of any prison term, parole, or supervised release.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers Outstanding federal or state felony warrants and court orders restricting travel can also cause a denial.4eCFR. 22 CFR 51.60 – Denial and Restriction of Passports
What to Bring
Form DS-11
Download Form DS-11 from the State Department site or complete it with the online form filler at pptform.state.gov.5U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms Fill it out in black ink if you’re doing it by hand. Do not sign it. You’ll sign in front of the acceptance agent after taking an oath, and signing early is a common reason applications get bounced.6U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport DS-11
Proof of U.S. Citizenship
Bring an original or certified copy. For most people this is a birth certificate from a city, county, or state vital records office, showing your full name, date and place of birth, both parents’ full names, the issuing office’s seal, and a filing date within one year of your birth.7eCFR. 22 CFR 51.42 – Persons Born in the United States Applying for a Passport for the First Time If you were born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, bring a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Naturalized citizens bring their naturalization certificate.
If your name has changed since that document was issued, bring the original or certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order that made the change. Your citizenship document is held by the government during processing and mailed back separately after your passport is issued.
Photo ID and a Photocopy
A driver’s license, government employee ID, or military ID works. You also need a photocopy of both the front and back of the ID, on white 8.5-by-11-inch paper, printed on one side.8U.S. Department of State. Photo Identification If you don’t have acceptable photo ID, you can bring an identifying witness to vouch for you under oath.
Passport Photo
2 inches by 2 inches, taken within the last six months, plain white or off-white background, neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed. No glasses unless you have a signed doctor’s note. No uniforms or camouflage.9U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos Photo problems are the single most common reason applications get put on hold, so it’s worth taking seriously.10U.S. Department of State. Respond to a Passport Letter or Email
What It Costs in 2026
Two fees, paid as two separate transactions. The application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State by check or money order made payable to “U.S. Department of State,” with your name and date of birth in the memo line. The $35 execution fee goes to the acceptance facility, and payment methods vary by location.12U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
Most travelers need the book. The passport card is cheaper but only valid for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, and cannot be used for any international air travel.11U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities You can apply for both on the same DS-11 if you want them.
The Appointment
Acceptance facilities are usually post offices, county clerk’s offices, or public libraries. Many USPS locations let you book online through the Retail Customer Appointment Scheduler, searchable by ZIP code up to four weeks out; each appointment runs about 15 minutes per person, and you should arrive 10 minutes early.13USPS. Schedule An Appointment Some facilities take walk-ins, but availability varies.
At the counter, the agent reviews your DS-11, checks your citizenship document and ID, and looks at your photo. Federal law requires you to take an oath verifying the information on the application.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 213 – Application for Passport; Verification by Oath of Initial Passport After the oath, you sign in front of the agent. The agent seals your form, photocopies, photo, and original citizenship document into a package for the processing center and hands you a receipt.
Processing Time and Tracking
Routine processing is running four to six weeks from the day the processing center receives your application. That does not include mail time in either direction, which can add a week or more on each end. Expedited processing runs two to three weeks for an additional $60. Paying $22.05 for 1-to-3-day delivery only speeds up the return trip; it doesn’t touch the processing itself.15U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
If you gave an email address on your DS-11, the State Department sends status updates automatically. No separate sign-up. You can also check status online with your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.16U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status Your passport book and your original citizenship document come back in separate mailings, so don’t worry if one arrives days before the other.
If You Need It Faster
If you’re traveling internationally within 14 calendar days, or need a foreign visa within 28 days, you can book an appointment at a regional passport agency. These are appointment-only, and you’ll need to show proof of upcoming travel, such as a flight itinerary. Appointments are booked through the State Department’s online system.17U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
A separate track exists for life-or-death emergencies: the death, dying condition, or life-threatening illness or injury of an immediate family member abroad. Immediate family means parents, children, spouses, siblings, and grandparents. Aunts, uncles, and cousins are not covered. You’ll need supporting documents such as a death certificate, a doctor’s letter on hospital letterhead, or a mortuary statement, plus proof of travel within two weeks. Getting medical treatment abroad for yourself does not qualify.18U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
Mistakes That Stall Applications
If something’s wrong, the State Department contacts you by letter or email, and you have 90 days to respond before the application is treated as abandoned.10U.S. Department of State. Respond to a Passport Letter or Email The recurring problems:
- Photo issues: shadows, wrong background, glasses left on, or a photo more than six months old. This is the top cause of holds.
- Birth certificates missing the registrar’s seal, missing a parent’s name, or filed more than a year after birth.
- Fees combined into one check, or a check made out to the wrong entity. Keep the application fee and execution fee as two separate payments.
- Missing signatures, missing dates, or blank required fields on the DS-11.
- For children under 16, missing consent from a second parent (see below).
Applying for a Child
Children under 16 also use Form DS-11, and both parents or legal guardians generally need to appear in person with the child. If one parent cannot come, that parent completes and notarizes Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) and provides a photocopy of their ID, and the notarized form has to be submitted within three months of signing.19U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s U.S. Passport Sole custody, a deceased parent, or a parent who can’t be located calls for different documentation, such as a court order or death certificate. A child’s passport book costs $135 total and is valid for five years, not ten.
Applicants who are 16 or 17 pay adult fees and get a ten-year passport, but at least one parent or guardian must show awareness of the application. That can be a signature on the form, a signed note with a copy of the parent’s ID, or paying the fees with a check in the parent’s name.20U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old