To apply for a passport for a newborn, both parents bring the baby in person to a passport acceptance facility with a completed Form DS-11, the child’s certified birth certificate, each parent’s photo ID, and a compliant infant photo. The passport book costs $100 in application fees plus a $35 acceptance fee, and routine processing runs four to six weeks. Every first-time applicant under 16 goes through this same in-person process, so plan the appointment well ahead of any international trip.
Documents to Bring
Form DS-11 is the application. Print it and fill it out in black ink, or complete it at the facility, but do not sign it until the acceptance agent tells you to. They have to witness the signature.1U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
Along with the form, bring:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship. An original or certified copy of the baby’s birth certificate is the usual document, ideally the long-form version listing both parents. If the baby was born overseas to U.S. citizen parents, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad works instead.
- Proof of the parental relationship. The same birth certificate normally covers this. If it doesn’t list both parents, you need something else that establishes the link, such as an adoption decree or a court order.
- Photo ID for each parent. A current passport, driver’s license, or similar government-issued ID, plus a photocopy of the front and back of each one.
- The baby’s Social Security Number if one has been assigned. If not, include a signed and dated statement saying the child has never been issued one.1U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
Check that the names on your IDs match the names on the birth certificate exactly. Mismatches are one of the most common causes of delay, and they are avoidable.
Both Parents Must Appear
Both parents or legal guardians have to show up in person with the baby and sign the application at the facility. The two-parent rule is a safeguard against international parental abduction.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.28 – Minors
If One Parent Can’t Be There
The absent parent completes Form DS-3053, the Statement of Consent. It must be notarized and submitted with a photocopy of the front and back of that parent’s photo ID. The notarized consent expires 90 days after the notary’s signature date, so don’t have it signed weeks in advance of the appointment.3U.S. Department of State. Statement of Consent – U.S. Passport Issuance to a Minor Under Age 16
If the Other Parent Can’t Be Found
If you genuinely cannot locate or contact the other parent, use Form DS-5525, the Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances. It requires a detailed explanation of what you did to find the absent parent and why consent can’t be obtained. The State Department reviews these case by case, and vague explanations get rejected.
If You Are the Sole Parent
Sole parents or guardians can apply alone with documentation that proves exclusive parental rights. Acceptable proof includes a birth certificate listing only the applying parent, a death certificate for the other parent, a court order granting sole legal custody, or an order terminating the other parent’s parental rights.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.28 – Minors
Taking a Passport Photo of a Newborn
The photo trips up more parents than any other step. It must be 2 inches by 2 inches, taken within the last six months, and shot against a plain white or off-white background.4U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 402.1 Passport Photographs
The simplest setup at home is to lay the baby on a smooth white sheet with no wrinkles or shadows and shoot straight down. A car seat draped with a white sheet also works. The face has to be centered and facing the camera, and no other person’s face can appear in the frame.
The rules for infants are more forgiving than most parents expect. The State Department specifically allows a newborn’s eyes to be partially or fully closed, and it accepts some head tilt. Discreet head support is fine as long as it’s covered by the white background.5U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos The adult standard of open eyes, straight head, and neutral expression does not fully apply.
Print on photo-quality paper and avoid shadows on the face. If you’re not confident, many drug stores and shipping stores take passport photos and know the specifications.
Book, Card, or Both
DS-11 asks whether you want a passport book, a passport card, or both. For a baby who might fly internationally, the book is the answer. The card cannot be used for international air travel; it only works for re-entering the United States at land border crossings and sea ports from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
The book for a child under 16 costs $100 in application fees plus the $35 acceptance fee. The card alone is $15 plus the $35 acceptance fee. Both together run $115 plus $35.6U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees For most families, the book at $135 total is the practical choice.
Where You Apply
Every newborn application goes in at a passport acceptance facility. These include post offices, clerks of court, public libraries, and certain other local government offices, and you can search for the nearest one on the State Department’s website.7U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page Not every post office accepts applications, so call before you go.
The baby has to be physically present. There is no age exception; a one-week-old still has to be at the counter. You’ll pay two separate fees at the appointment: the application fee to the Department of State and the $35 acceptance fee to the facility. Most facilities take checks or money orders, and some take credit cards. Confirm ahead of time.6U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
How Long It Takes
Routine processing currently runs four to six weeks from the date the State Department receives the application.8U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports That clock starts when the processing center opens the envelope, not when you hand it off, so budget extra days for mail on each end.
Expedited processing shortens the timeline to two to three weeks for an additional $60. You can also pay $22.05 for one-to-three-day delivery of the finished book.6U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees To request expedited service, write “EXPEDITE” on the outside of the mailing envelope and on the application itself.
If you’re leaving the country within 14 calendar days or need a foreign visa within 28 days, regional passport agencies take appointments for in-person service.9U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency Life-or-death situations qualify for emergency service by calling the State Department at 1-877-487-2778 during business hours or 202-647-4000 after hours and on weekends, with proof of the emergency and imminent travel.
Validity and Later Renewals
A passport issued to a child under 16 is valid for five years, half the duration of an adult passport.10USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18 When it expires, you cannot renew it by mail the way adults can. You repeat the full in-person application with a new DS-11, fresh photos, updated documents, and the full fees again.11U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail Expect to go through this process two or three times before your child turns 16.