How to Get a Passport for the First Time: DS-11, Documents, Fees

To get a passport for the first time, you apply in person at a passport acceptance facility using Form DS-11, bring proof of U.S. citizenship, a photo ID with a photocopy, one 2 x 2 inch color photo, and payment. For an adult passport book, the total is $165 ($130 application fee plus a $35 acceptance fee), and routine processing runs about four to six weeks from when the State Department receives your paperwork, with mail transit adding another two to four weeks on top.¹²

Choose a Passport Book, Card, or Both

The passport book is the standard document and is required for any international air travel. The passport card is a wallet-sized alternative valid only for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean. It cannot be used to fly internationally.³ If any part of your trip involves flying abroad, get the book.

You can apply for both on a single Form DS-11. For a first-time adult, the application fee alone is $130 for the book, $30 for the card, or $160 for both, and the $35 acceptance fee is charged once regardless of which you choose.¹ The card also counts as a REAL ID-compliant document for domestic flights, so some travelers get both and keep the card as a backup airport ID.³

What to Bring to Your Appointment

Acceptance agents cannot make exceptions, so gather everything before you go. Missing one item means starting over.

Proof of U.S. Citizenship

Bring an original or certified document. Photocopies are not accepted. The most common option is a U.S. birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state where you were born, listing your full name, date and place of birth, and your parent(s)’ full names, and filed with the registrar’s office within one year of your birth. Other accepted documents include a previous full-validity U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization, a Certificate of Citizenship, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.⁴

Photo ID and a Photocopy

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or state ID card. You also need a photocopy of the front and back on a single side of standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper, printed in black and white. If you don’t have a primary photo ID, you can present at least two secondary forms of identification, such as an expired driver’s license, a Social Security card, a voter registration card, or an employee or student ID.⁵ Most facilities will not make the photocopy for you, so print it at home.

One Passport Photo

You need one color photograph, 2 x 2 inches, on a plain white or off-white background. Remove glasses, including prescription lenses. Keep a neutral expression with both eyes open and your mouth closed.⁶ Pharmacies and shipping stores take a compliant photo for roughly $7 to $17. Non-compliant photos are the single most common reason applications are delayed, so avoid cropping a phone picture at home.

If Your Birth Certificate Is Late-Filed or Missing

A birth certificate filed more than one year after your birth is acceptable if it lists the records used to create it and includes either the birth attendant’s signature or an affidavit from your parent(s). If those details are missing, supplement it with early public records.⁴

If no certificate exists at all, request a Letter of No Record from your birth state showing your name, date of birth, years searched, and a statement that no certificate is on file. Submit that letter along with early public or private records from the first five years of your life, such as a baptismal certificate, hospital birth record, early school records, or a U.S. Census record. You may also need Form DS-10, a birth affidavit signed by someone with personal knowledge of your birth.⁴

If Your Name Is Different from Your Citizenship Document

Bring the original or certified name change document: a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order. There’s one shortcut. If you changed your name through marriage and your photo ID is already in your married name, you don’t need a separate name change document; just enter the marriage details on page two of Form DS-11.⁷

Fill Out Form DS-11 the Right Way

Form DS-11 is the application for all first-time passport applicants. The State Department recommends using its online Form Filler and then printing the completed form; you can also print a blank PDF and fill it in by hand, using black ink only.⁸⁹

Do not sign the form at home. The acceptance agent administers an oath and tells you when to sign. If you make a mistake, print a fresh form. White-out and crossed-out corrections are not accepted.⁸⁹ Include your phone number and email so the State Department can reach you if anything is wrong. The form asks you to select M or F as your sex marker; as of early 2025 those are the only options issued.¹⁰

Apply in Person at an Acceptance Facility

You must apply in person the first time. Acceptance facilities are typically located inside post offices, public libraries, and county clerk offices. The State Department’s search tool at iafdb.travel.state.gov lets you look up facilities by zip code and shows which ones offer on-site passport photos. Check whether your location requires an appointment; many do.

Bring your unsigned DS-11, your original citizenship evidence, your photo ID and its black-and-white photocopy, your passport photo, and your payment. The acceptance agent reviews everything, administers the oath, has you sign the form, and forwards the packet to the State Department.¹¹

What It Costs

Every first-time application requires two separate payments: an application fee to the U.S. Department of State and a $35 acceptance fee to the facility. The application fee must be paid by check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” The acceptance fee is separate and may be paid by credit card, cash, or other methods depending on the facility.¹

Adult applicants (age 16 and older):

Passport book: $130 application fee + $35 acceptance fee = $165
Passport card: $30 application fee + $35 acceptance fee = $65
Both: $160 application fee + $35 acceptance fee = $195

Child applicants (under 16):¹²

Passport book: $100 + $35 = $135
Passport card: $15 + $35 = $50
Both: $115 + $35 = $150

Optional add-ons paid to the State Department on the same check or money order:

Expedited processing: $60 per application, cutting processing to about two to three weeks¹
1–3 day return delivery: $22.05 per application¹³

Do not send a pre-paid return envelope; add the delivery fee to your payment instead.¹³

How Long It Takes and How to Track It

Routine processing currently takes four to six weeks from when the State Department receives your application. Expedited processing takes two to three weeks. Neither figure includes mail time, and mail can add up to two weeks in each direction, so plan for eight to ten weeks door to door for routine service. Paying the $22.05 delivery fee shortens the return trip to one to three days.²

You can check progress on the State Department’s online passport status tracker using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Statuses include “In Process,” “Approved,” and “Mailed.” Your original citizenship documents arrive in a separate mailing from your passport.

If You’re Traveling Soon

If your international trip is within two to three weeks and you don’t have a passport, you can request an appointment at a regional passport agency or center. You become eligible to book once you’re within 14 calendar days of travel, or within 28 days if you need a foreign visa. Appointments must be booked online, walk-ins are not accepted, and availability is not guaranteed.¹³

A separate track exists for genuine life-or-death emergencies involving the death, dying, or life-threatening illness or injury of an immediate family member abroad (parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent). Traveling abroad for your own medical treatment does not qualify. You’ll need documentation of the emergency from a doctor or mortuary on official letterhead and proof of travel within the next two weeks.¹⁴

Applying for a Child Under 16

Children under 16 need their own passport and cannot be added to a parent’s. The application uses Form DS-11, and both parents or legal guardians must appear in person with the child at the acceptance facility.¹⁵ When that isn’t possible, the alternatives depend on the family situation:

One parent can’t appear but both have custody: the absent parent signs a notarized Form DS-3053 and provides a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary.
One parent has sole legal custody: submit a court order, a birth certificate or adoption decree listing only one parent, a death certificate for the other parent, or a judicial declaration of incompetence.
The other parent cannot be located: file Form DS-5525; the State Department may request additional evidence.
Neither parent can appear: both provide notarized consent authorizing a designated third party to apply with the child.

Notarized consent forms must be submitted within three months of being signed. A child’s passport is valid for five years, not ten.¹⁵¹⁶

Mistakes That Delay First-Time Applications

Non-compliant photos cause the most delays. Wearing glasses, using a colored background, wrong dimensions, and shadows across the face all bounce applications. Pay the few dollars at a pharmacy.⁶

Signing Form DS-11 before your appointment forces you to start over with a new form. The oath must come first.¹¹

White-out or crossed-out corrections are automatic rejections. If you make a mistake, print a fresh copy.⁹

Forgetting the black-and-white photocopy of your ID catches people off guard because most facilities won’t make one for you. Print it before you leave home.

Wrong payment stalls everything. The application fee is check or money order only, made out to “U.S. Department of State.” No cash, no credit cards for that portion. The $35 acceptance fee is separate, and payment methods vary by facility, so confirm before you go.¹

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passports and REAL ID
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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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U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms
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U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport DS-11
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U.S. Department of State. Sex Marker in Passports
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s U.S. Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services