How to Fill Out DS-11: Fields, Documents, and Fees

To fill out Form DS-11, download the current version from eforms.state.gov, type your answers or print and use black ink in capital letters, match every entry to your citizenship and identity documents exactly, and leave the signature line blank until an acceptance agent watches you sign it. The form runs two pages and covers your name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, physical description, parents, marital status, and travel plans. Knowing how to fill out DS-11 correctly the first time is mostly about consistency with the documents you will submit alongside it, because any mismatch between the application and your birth certificate or ID can push your file into manual review.¹

Make Sure DS-11 Is Your Form

DS-11 is the in-person application. You use it if you are a first-time adult applicant, if your previous passport was lost, stolen, or damaged, if your last passport was issued more than 15 years ago, or if your last passport was issued before you turned 16. Every child under 16 also uses DS-11.²³

If you already hold an undamaged passport issued within the last 15 years and after your 16th birthday, DS-11 is not your form. You renew by mail using DS-82. Filling out the wrong form means starting over.⁴

Choose Book, Card, or Both

Near the top, DS-11 asks which product you want. The passport book works for all international travel including flights. The passport card is wallet-sized, costs less, and works only at land border crossings and sea ports of entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. You cannot fly internationally on the card.⁵

Check the box for what you actually need. If flying abroad is any possibility, choose the book. You can also select both.

Personal and Biographical Fields (Page 1)

Enter your full legal name exactly as it reads on the citizenship document you plan to submit, usually your birth certificate. If your current legal name is different because of marriage or a court order, use your current legal name and bring the paperwork that shows the change.

Date of birth goes in month-day-year format. Place of birth is the city and state where you were born, or the foreign country if you were born outside the United States. Copy your Social Security number directly from your Social Security card rather than entering it from memory; a wrong SSN is one of the most common causes of delay. The form also asks your sex and whether you have ever held a previous U.S. passport.

The physical description fields ask for your height in feet and inches, your hair color, and your eye color. These are printed on the passport itself, so describe how you actually look now rather than copying from a driver’s license that may be out of date.

Everything in this section is verified against federal databases. Knowingly providing false information on a passport application is a federal crime carrying up to 10 years in prison for a first offense.⁶

Family, Marital Status, and Travel Plans (Page 2)

Page 2 asks for both parents’ full legal names at birth, along with their dates and places of birth. List these regardless of whether your parents are living and regardless of your current relationship with them. If you genuinely do not know a parent’s information after a reasonable effort to find it, write “unknown” in that field. Watch small discrepancies here: if your birth certificate spells a parent’s maiden name one way and you enter it another, that alone can prompt a request for more evidence.

Next comes marital status and, if applicable, your most recent spouse’s name and marriage date. This section is mainly there to track name changes and legal status.

Then the travel plan block: a departure date, a return date, and the countries you plan to visit. These fields are optional. They matter mainly if you are asking for expedited processing and need to justify the timing. Leaving them blank will not get your application rejected.¹

Do Not Sign the Form Yet

This is where applicants trip most often. The signature line stays blank until you are standing in front of the acceptance agent at the passport facility. The agent administers an oath, witnesses your signature, and then seals the package. If you sign in advance, the form is invalid and you have to start with a fresh copy.¹

What to Bring With the Completed Form

DS-11 is only one piece of the package. You also need originals and photocopies of your citizenship evidence and identity document, plus a passport photo.

Citizenship Evidence

The standard document is a certified birth certificate from your city, county, or state of birth. It must show your full name, date of birth, place of birth, both parents’ full names, the registrar’s signature, a filing date within one year of birth, and the seal of the issuing authority. Hospital-issued and commemorative certificates do not qualify. If you were born abroad or naturalized, a Certificate of Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad works.⁷

Submit the original plus a photocopy of both sides on white paper at full size. Your original is returned by mail after processing.

Proof of Identity

Bring a primary photo ID. Acceptable options include:

A valid or expired U.S. passport, a government employee ID (city, county, state, or federal), or a military or military dependent ID
A fully valid in-state driver’s license or enhanced driver’s license
A Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship
A current foreign passport, a Trusted Traveler card (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI), or an enhanced tribal card

Without a primary ID, you can present two secondary IDs, such as a Social Security card combined with an employee or student ID. Bring a photocopy of the front and back on white paper, printed at full size.⁸

Passport Photo

A recent color photo, 2 by 2 inches, plain white or off-white background, no shadows or texture. Face the camera directly with a neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed. Glasses are not allowed; the only exception is a medical one, which requires a signed doctor’s note. Head coverings are prohibited unless worn daily for religious reasons (bring a signed personal statement) or medical reasons (bring a signed doctor’s statement).⁹ Retail pharmacies, shipping stores, and many post offices that accept applications also take passport photos.

Submitting in Person and Paying the Fees

DS-11 cannot be mailed. You must appear at an authorized passport acceptance facility, which includes many post offices, county clerk offices, and some public libraries. Many post offices require an appointment, though some accept walk-ins during limited hours.¹⁰

Two separate fees are due at submission: an application fee paid to the Department of State and a $35 execution fee paid to the facility.

Adult passport book: $130 application + $35 execution = $165
Adult passport card: $30 application + $35 execution = $65
Both book and card: $160 application + $35 execution = $195
Expedited service: add $60

¹¹

Filling Out DS-11 for a Child Under 16

A child under 16 cannot apply alone. Both parents or legal guardians must appear in person with the child at the acceptance facility. The child’s birth certificate serves as both citizenship evidence and proof of the parent-child relationship.

If one parent cannot appear, that parent completes Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) in front of a notary and includes a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary. The notarized DS-3053 must be submitted within three months of signing. If the other parent cannot be located, Form DS-5525 covers special family circumstances such as sole custody or an absent parent.³

Fees are $100 plus the $35 execution fee for a minor book, and $15 plus the $35 execution fee for a minor card.¹¹ Minor passports are valid for five years rather than ten, and every renewal requires a fresh DS-11.

1
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State Application for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1542 – False Statement in Application and Use of 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. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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USPS. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees