To get a passport for a newborn, both parents (or legal guardians) must appear in person at a passport acceptance facility with Form DS-11, the baby’s certified U.S. birth certificate, a compliant passport photo, valid photo ID, and the fees. Children under 16 can’t apply on their own or renew by mail, so every passport for a baby goes through this same in-person, first-time application process.1U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16 The paperwork is short. The consent rules and the photo are what trip families up.
Proof of Citizenship for the Baby
You need a certified U.S. birth certificate issued by a city, county, or state vital records office. It has to show the child’s full name, date and place of birth, and the full names of the parents; be signed by the official custodian of birth records; carry the seal of the issuing office; and show a filing date within one year of the birth.2eCFR. 22 CFR 51.42 – Persons Born in the United States Applying for a Passport for the First Time The souvenir certificate the hospital gives you at discharge doesn’t count. You need the official version from the state’s vital records office.
Order that certified copy as early as you can. Most states take several weeks to process and mail it after the hospital files the birth paperwork, and you cannot submit the passport application without it.
If the certificate was filed more than a year after the birth, the State Department treats it as a delayed birth certificate. A delayed certificate has to list the records used to create it and either bear the birth attendant’s signature or come with an affidavit from a parent. If yours doesn’t, you’ll need to add early public records such as hospital or baptismal records.3U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
If your baby was born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad takes the place of the domestic birth certificate. Parents apply for that through the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate before the child turns 18.4U.S. Department of State. Birth of U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizen Nationals Abroad
Both Parents Have to Sign
Federal regulations require both parents or all legal guardians to appear in person at the acceptance facility, show valid government-issued photo ID, and sign the application. The rule exists to prevent one parent from taking a child abroad without the other’s knowledge.5eCFR. 22 CFR 51.28 – Minors A current driver’s license, a valid U.S. passport, or a military ID all work.
When One Parent Can’t Come to the Appointment
The absent parent fills out Form DS-3053, the Statement of Consent, and signs it in front of a notary. They also include a photocopy of the front and back of the ID they showed the notary. The parent who does appear brings the notarized DS-3053 and the ID copies to the acceptance facility.6U.S. Department of State. Statement of Consent: U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child
When the Other Parent Is Deceased, Unknown, or Unavailable
If the second parent has died, has had parental rights terminated, or cannot be located, the applying parent submits Form DS-5525 with a written explanation of why the other parent’s consent can’t be obtained.7U.S. Department of State. Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances for Issuance of a U.S. Passport to a Child Under Age 16 Documentation strengthens the case: a court order granting sole legal custody, a death certificate, or an adoption decree naming only the applying parent can eliminate the second-parent requirement entirely.8eCFR. 22 CFR 51.28 – Minors
Filling Out Form DS-11
Form DS-11 is the application every first-time passport applicant uses, newborns included.9U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport You can fill it out online and print it, or pick up a paper copy at the acceptance facility. Do not sign it at home. The passport agent administers an oath at the appointment and tells you when to sign.
One line commonly stalls newborn applications: the Social Security number. Many babies don’t have a card yet by the time parents need to travel. If your child hasn’t been issued an SSN, enter zeros in that field and include a separate signed, dated statement declaring under penalty of perjury that the child has never been issued a Social Security number.9U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport The application will still be processed.
The Newborn Passport Photo
The photo has to be 2 by 2 inches, taken against a white or off-white background, with the baby facing the camera and both eyes open. No other person can be in the frame, and no shadows can fall on the baby’s face.
Two techniques the State Department suggests actually work. Lay the baby face-up on a plain white sheet, which supports the head and gives you a clean background. Or set the baby in a car seat draped with a white cloth.10U.S. Department of State. Photo Requirements If you shoot from directly above, watch that your body and the camera aren’t throwing shadows down onto the face. Many post offices take passport photos on site, but trying at home first gives you a backup.
Book or Card, and What It Costs
On the DS-11 you’ll choose a passport book, a passport card, or both. For a family flying anywhere, the book is the answer: it’s valid for all international travel by air, land, and sea. The card is cheaper but works only for land border crossings and sea travel to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. It cannot be used for international air travel.11U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
For a child under 16, the book application fee is $100 and the card is $15. Either way, there’s a $35 execution fee paid to the acceptance facility.12U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
Where to Apply and What to Bring
Applications go in in person at an authorized passport acceptance facility, usually a post office, public library, or clerk of court office staffed by trained passport agents. The State Department’s locator at iafdb.travel.state.gov searches by ZIP code. Post offices generally require an appointment, bookable through USPS up to four weeks out.13United States Postal Service. Schedule An Appointment
Bring everything on this list:
- Completed but unsigned Form DS-11.
- The child’s certified birth certificate (or Consular Report of Birth Abroad), plus a photocopy.
- Valid government-issued photo ID for each appearing parent, plus photocopies.
- Notarized DS-3053 or DS-5525 if a parent is absent, with ID copies from the non-appearing parent.
- One recent passport photo meeting State Department specifications.
- Two separate payments: $100 to the Department of State for the book application fee and $35 to the facility for the execution fee. Most facilities accept checks or money orders; some accept credit cards for the execution fee, but policies vary.12U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees
The acceptance agent will verify IDs, administer the oath, have you sign the DS-11, and seal the package for mailing. Your original citizenship documents travel with the application and come back separately by mail after processing.
How Long It Takes
As of 2026, routine processing takes four to six weeks. Expedited processing costs an extra $60 and cuts that to two to three weeks.14U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports You can also pay $22.05 for 1-to-3-day return delivery, which is separate from the expedite fee.15U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast Both windows measure time from when the State Department receives the application, not from your appointment date.
If you’re departing within 14 days, the State Department offers appointments at regional passport agencies for urgent travel.16U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
Five-Year Validity
A passport issued to a child under 16 is valid for five years, half the adult term.17U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old Every reissuance before age 16 requires a fresh DS-11 in person with updated photos and both parents accounted for. There is no mail-in renewal option for young children.1U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16 A passport issued the week your baby is born expires before kindergarten, so build the next appointment into your travel planning.