Passport Age Requirements: Validity, Fees, and Consent Rules

U.S. passport age requirements sort applicants into three groups: children under 16, teens aged 16 and 17, and adults 18 and older. Each group faces different rules on how long the passport lasts, which form to file, whether a parent has to be involved, and what it costs. There is no minimum age. A newborn needs a passport to fly internationally, and the paperwork looks much the same as it does for a twelve-year-old.¹

Five Years or Ten Years: How Age Sets Validity

Federal regulations tie the expiration date directly to the applicant’s age on the day the application is received. A passport issued to someone under 16 is valid for five years. A passport issued to someone 16 or older is valid for ten years.² Apply one day before your sixteenth birthday and you get the five-year version.

The shorter window for children exists because kids change appearance quickly and their photos become unreliable sooner. It also means families with young children go through the process more often. A passport issued at age 10 expires at 15, and at that point the child needs a brand-new application rather than a renewal.

Applying for a Child Under 16

Every child under 16 must appear in person at an acceptance facility, along with at least one parent. Both parents are preferred.³ The application is Form DS-11, the standard form for anyone applying in person for the first time.⁴

Bring evidence of the child’s U.S. citizenship, which usually means a certified birth certificate or a previous passport. The birth certificate also establishes the legal relationship between the child and the parents applying. Adopted children need the adoption decree instead. All documents must be originals or certified copies.

Children under 16 cannot renew. When the five-year passport expires, parents must submit an entirely new DS-11 application in person, with fresh photos and the same documentation.³

Parental Consent Rules

The two-parent consent requirement is where most under-16 applications get complicated. Both parents or legal guardians must appear in person, show identification, and sign the application.⁵ The rule exists to prevent one parent from taking a child abroad without the other parent’s knowledge.

When one parent cannot attend, that parent completes Form DS-3053, a notarized statement of consent, and submits it with a photocopy of the front and back of their ID.⁵ Notary fees vary by state but generally run between $2 and $25.

A parent with sole legal custody can apply alone by bringing a certified copy of the court order granting custody. A death certificate works if the other parent is deceased. In these situations Form DS-3053 is not needed, because the court order or death certificate answers the consent question on its own.

If the other parent cannot be located, is incarcerated and unable to communicate, or refuses to cooperate, the applying parent uses Form DS-5525, the Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances. You must explain in detail why obtaining consent is impossible and provide supporting evidence such as court orders, incarceration records, or a written description of the circumstances.⁶ The State Department reviews these case by case, and the passport may be issued with a limited validity period. False statements on this form carry criminal penalties.

Applying at 16 or 17

Teens aged 16 and 17 sit in a middle bracket. They apply in person on Form DS-11, the same as younger children, but parental involvement drops sharply. At least one parent must be aware the teen is applying. Awareness can be shown through a signed statement or by having the parent attend the appointment.⁷³

The passport issued at this age is valid for ten years, the same as an adult passport.² One detail catches people off guard: if the passport was issued before the applicant turned 16, it cannot be renewed by mail later. That teen has to submit a new in-person application when it expires. A passport issued at 15 years and 364 days is treated completely differently from one issued at exactly 16, even though the books may arrive on the same day.³

Applying as an Adult (18 and Older)

At 18 you handle the entire process yourself. No parental involvement, no consent forms. First-time applicants file Form DS-11 in person, bringing proof of citizenship, a government-issued photo ID, and a passport photo. The same in-person route applies if your last passport was issued before you turned 16, or if your previous passport expired more than 15 years ago.⁴

Adults who already hold a ten-year passport issued when they were 16 or older can renew by mail using Form DS-82, provided the old passport was issued within the last 15 years, is undamaged, and is in the applicant’s current legal name.⁸ Mail renewal skips the in-person visit entirely. You send the old passport with the application, and both the new and old books come back to you separately.

Fees by Age Group

Costs depend on age, document type, and whether you’re applying for the first time or renewing. Figures below reflect the current 2026 schedule.⁹

Children under 16 (all applications are first-time, since renewal isn’t available):

Passport book: $100 application fee + $35 execution fee = $135
Passport card: $15 application fee + $35 execution fee = $50
Both book and card: $115 application fee + $35 execution fee = $150

First-time applicants 16 and older (Form DS-11):

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

Adult renewals by mail (Form DS-82), with no execution fee because there’s no in-person visit:

Passport book: $130
Passport card: $30
Both book and card: $160

The application fee goes to the Department of State. The $35 execution fee is paid directly to the acceptance facility that witnesses your signature, and it often needs to be a separate check or form of payment.¹⁰ Expedited processing adds $60 to the application fee at any age.⁸

The Six-Month Validity Trap

Age affects how long your passport lasts, but many destination countries won’t let you enter unless your passport stays valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates. Some measure six months from arrival, others from planned departure. Airlines often enforce these requirements at check-in and may deny boarding if the passport falls short. The five-year window for children makes this more urgent than it sounds. A passport issued to a four-year-old effectively becomes risky for international travel by around age eight and a half, even though it doesn’t technically expire until age nine. Check the expiration date well before booking.

1
U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport
2
eCFR. 22 CFR Part 51 – Passports
3
USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18
4
U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
5
U.S. Department of State. Statement of Consent – U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child
6
U.S. Department of State. Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances
7
U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old
8
U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
9
U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees