Passport ID Requirements for Adults and Minors

To apply for a U.S. passport, you need to satisfy two separate requirements at once: identity and citizenship. The passport ID requirements for the identity piece are met by one primary photo ID — most commonly a valid driver’s license, state ID, military ID, government employee ID, or previous U.S. passport. If you don’t have one of those, you can substitute two or more secondary documents, or bring an identifying witness who signs a sworn statement in front of the acceptance agent. Whichever route you take, you’ll also need a photocopy of every ID document, and separate proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate.¹

That last point causes the most avoidable rejections. A birth certificate proves you’re a citizen but not that you’re you; a driver’s license proves you’re you but not that you’re a citizen. You need both documents at the appointment. The only single item that covers both sides is a previous U.S. passport.²

Primary Photo ID

One primary document is enough to establish your identity. Federal regulations let you prove who you are with a previous passport, a government-issued photo ID, or other identifying evidence such as an identifying witness affidavit.³ In practice, the State Department accepts:

A currently valid driver’s license or state-issued ID card with your photo
A valid or expired U.S. passport book or card
A federal, state, or local government employee photo ID (not a building-access-only card)
A current U.S. military ID, including dependent IDs
A valid foreign passport

Each document must be a physical original. Digital driver’s licenses and mobile IDs displayed on a phone screen are not currently accepted, and the photo on the card has to be clear enough for the acceptance agent to confirm it matches you.¹

One trap: an expired driver’s license does not count as primary identification. The State Department lists it under secondary documents only. If your license has lapsed, use the secondary process described below.

Secondary ID When You Don’t Have a Primary Document

Without any of the primary documents, you can establish identity by presenting at least two items from the secondary list. Each carries less weight on its own, which is why the minimum is two. Acceptable secondary documents include:¹

An out-of-state or enhanced driver’s license with photo
A learner’s permit or temporary driver’s license, even without a photo
A non-driver state ID card
A Social Security card
A voter registration card
An employee work ID or student ID
A school yearbook with an identifiable photograph of you
A Selective Service card
A Medicare or other health insurance card
An expired driver’s license

The bar for any single item is low, so bring as many as you can. Extra supporting documents give the acceptance agent more to work with and reduce the risk of a hold on your application.

Identifying Witness (Form DS-71)

If even secondary documents fall short, you can bring an identifying witness to the appointment. The witness fills out Form DS-71, Affidavit of Identifying Witness, in front of the same acceptance agent handling your application, and must present a current government-issued photo ID along with a photocopy of it.¹ The affidavit is signed under penalty of perjury, so the witness needs to genuinely know you.

Form DS-71 is only available when you apply in person at an acceptance facility or passport agency. It cannot be submitted by mail, and the witness has to physically appear with you.

When the Name on Your ID Doesn’t Match

A common snag: the name on your photo ID doesn’t match the name on your citizenship evidence, or the name you want on the passport. The State Department handles this differently depending on how big the gap is.

A minor difference, such as a shortened first name or slight spelling variation, is usually satisfied if your primary ID shows the name you want printed on the passport. If it doesn’t, a combination of secondary IDs showing that name may be accepted instead.⁴

A major change from marriage, divorce, or a court order requires supporting proof: a marriage certificate, divorce decree, court-ordered name change, or naturalization certificate reflecting the new name. Here’s the catch that trips people up. If you changed your name more than a year before applying but never updated your photo ID, the State Department will suspend the application and require you to get an ID in the new name before it proceeds.⁴ That suspension can add weeks or months, so update your driver’s license before walking into the passport office.

Children Under 16

Children under 16 rarely have their own photo ID, so the identification burden shifts to the parents. Both parents must appear in person with the child, bring their own physical photo ID, and sign the application. This two-parent rule is a deliberate safeguard against international parental child abduction.⁵

When One Parent Can’t Appear

If both parents share custody but one cannot attend, the absent parent completes Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, before a certified notary public. A photocopy of the ID the absent parent showed the notary must accompany the form.⁵

Sole Custody and Special Circumstances

A parent applying alone has to show why the other parent isn’t involved. Depending on the situation, the State Department accepts:⁵

A court order granting sole custody or specifically authorizing the passport
A certified birth certificate or adoption decree listing you as the only parent or guardian
A certified death certificate for the other parent
A certified judicial declaration of incompetence for an incapacitated parent

If you cannot locate the other parent, submit Form DS-5525, Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances, explaining the situation. The State Department may ask for additional evidence such as a custody order, incarceration records, or a restraining order.

Ages 16 and 17

Teens aged 16 and 17 sit in the middle. They can apply on their own if they have acceptable identification, following the same primary and secondary rules that apply to adults.⁶ A parent doesn’t have to be in the room, but a parent must either attend or provide a signed statement confirming awareness that the teen is applying.

If the teen has no photo ID, a parent or guardian must appear and present their own primary identification, similar to the process for younger children. Where a parent cannot appear at all, a notarized Form DS-3053 with a copy of the parent’s ID may satisfy the parental awareness requirement.

Photocopy Rules That Trip People Up

Every application requires a photocopy of each ID you present, and the State Department is strict about the format:¹

Use white, standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper.
Copy single-sided only. Copy both the front and back of the ID, but put both images on the same side of one sheet or on separate sheets, never on both sides of a single sheet.
Do not shrink the image. Enlarging is fine; reducing is not.

Bring the original ID with the photocopies. The acceptance agent compares them, confirms the match, and returns your original on the spot. The photocopy stays with the application. Double-sided copies and blurry reproductions where text or photos aren’t legible will bounce the application back, costing you weeks.

REAL ID Is a Separate Question

With REAL ID enforcement in effect for domestic flights, many applicants ask whether they need a REAL ID-compliant license to apply for a passport. They don’t. The State Department accepts standard driver’s licenses as primary identification regardless of REAL ID compliance. The relationship runs the other way: a U.S. passport book or passport card is itself REAL ID-compliant, so getting a passport is one way to satisfy the airport security requirement if your state license doesn’t.⁷

1
U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
2
U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
3
eCFR. 22 CFR 51.23 – Identity of Applicant
4
U.S. Department of State. 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes
5
U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
6
USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18
7
U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passports and REAL ID