What Is Form DS-11? Passport Application Requirements and Fees

Form DS-11 is the U.S. passport application you complete in person when you can’t renew by mail — most commonly because you’ve never had a passport, you’re applying for a child, or your last passport is too old, lost, damaged, or was issued when you were under 16. You bring it, along with your citizenship and identity documents, to a passport acceptance facility, where an agent watches you sign it under oath and forwards the packet to the State Department for processing.

Who Has To Use DS-11

Not every passport applicant needs this form. If you already hold an undamaged passport issued in the last 15 years, in your current name, and when you were 16 or older, you can use the mail-in renewal form DS-82 instead.¹ Federal regulations require an in-person DS-11 application in these situations:²

You’ve never had a U.S. passport in your own name.
The applicant is a child under 16, even if the child had a passport before.
Your previous passport was issued before you turned 16.
Your previous passport was issued more than 15 years ago.
Your passport was lost, stolen, or damaged. A lost or stolen passport also has to be reported separately.³

When you’re not sure, DS-11 in person is always accepted. It’s the mail-in shortcut that has eligibility limits, not the other way around.

The State Department treats a passport as damaged, and therefore ineligible for mail renewal, when it has water damage, a significant tear, unofficial markings on the data page, missing pages, or an unofficial hole punch.⁴ Ordinary wear doesn’t count. If your passport is damaged, you’ll submit it with DS-11 along with a signed statement explaining what happened.

What To Bring to Your Appointment

Gather every document before you go. Agents cannot process an incomplete application, and one missing item means a wasted trip.

Proof of U.S. Citizenship

The usual document is a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state where you were born, listing your parents’ names and bearing an official seal or registrar’s signature. A certificate of naturalization, a consular report of birth abroad, or a certificate of citizenship also works. Bring the original, not a photocopy. It will be returned to you after processing.

If you can’t get a certified birth certificate, you can submit secondary evidence such as a hospital birth record, a baptismal certificate, or early medical and school records generally created within five years of your birth.⁵ Sworn statements from people with personal knowledge of your birth can supplement those records. Secondary evidence gets closer scrutiny, so include as much as you can.

Photo Identification

Bring a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license, military ID, or previous passport. You need the original and a photocopy of both the front and back. The photocopy stays in your file permanently.

Name Change Documentation

If your current legal name differs from the name on your citizenship document, bring a certified copy of the document that shows the change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.⁶ There’s one exception. If you took a married name and your current ID already reflects it, you don’t need separate proof, but you do need to fill in the marriage details on the second page of DS-11.

Passport Photo

You need one color photo taken within the last six months, 2 by 2 inches, with a white or off-white background and no shadows. Face the camera directly with a neutral expression; a subtle smile is fine as long as both eyes are open and your mouth stays closed. Take your eyeglasses off. That’s a firm rule, not a suggestion.⁷ Many pharmacies, shipping stores, and post offices take compliant photos for a small fee.

Social Security Number

The form asks for your Social Security number, and you should provide it. Under federal tax regulations, failing to include it can trigger a $500 IRS penalty, though the IRS will send a written notice giving you 60 days to respond before it’s assessed.⁸

Extra Rules When Applying for a Child Under 16

Every child’s passport application uses DS-11, and the State Department requires evidence that both parents or legal guardians consent. The child and both parents have to appear at the acceptance facility together.⁹ This is where split-custody families often run into trouble.

If one parent can’t be there in person, that parent has to complete Form DS-3053, the Statement of Consent, and get it notarized. The notarization expires after 90 days, so don’t sign it too far ahead. The absent parent also has to include a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary.¹⁰

If you can’t locate the other parent, you submit Form DS-5525, the Statement of Special Family Circumstances, explaining the situation. If you have sole legal custody, you can apply alone by providing a court order granting sole custody, a birth certificate that lists only you as the parent, or a certified death certificate of the other parent.⁹

A child’s passport is valid for five years, not ten, so you’ll repeat this in-person process at least once before the child turns 16.⁴

Filling Out the Form and Submitting It

You can download DS-11 from the State Department’s website or use its online form filler, which lets you type answers and print a completed copy. Use black ink if you fill it out by hand. One rule matters more than any other: do not sign the form at home. The agent at the acceptance facility has to watch you sign under oath, and if you signed it beforehand you’ll likely start over with a fresh copy.²

Acceptance facilities include many post offices, county clerk offices, and some libraries and municipal buildings. Not every post office handles passports, so use the State Department’s facility locator before you drive out. At the appointment you’ll swear or affirm that everything on the form is truthful; providing false information is a federal crime.¹¹ The agent reviews your documents, takes the fees, and mails the entire packet to a State Department processing center.

Choosing the Book, the Card, or Both

DS-11 asks whether you want a passport book, a passport card, or both. The book is the standard travel document that works everywhere, including international flights. The card is wallet-sized and cheaper, but it cannot be used for air travel to or from a foreign country. It’s only valid at land border crossings and sea ports of entry when traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda.¹² If you might fly internationally, get the book.

Fees

You pay two separate fees: an application fee to the U.S. Department of State and a $35 facility acceptance fee to the location where you apply.¹³

Adult passport book: $130 + $35 = $165
Adult passport card: $30 + $35 = $65
Adult book and card: $160 + $35 = $195
Child passport book: $100 + $35 = $135
Child passport card: $15 + $35 = $50
Child book and card: $115 + $35 = $150

Pay the application fee by check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State,” and write the applicant’s name and date of birth in the memo line. The $35 facility fee is paid separately to the acceptance facility, and accepted payment methods vary by location, so check ahead.

How Long It Takes

Routine processing currently runs four to six weeks, and expedited processing runs two to three weeks.¹⁴ Those windows don’t include mailing time. It can take up to two weeks for your application to reach the processing center and another two weeks for the finished passport to reach you, so a routine application can realistically run eight to ten weeks door to door. If you gave an email address on the form, you’ll get status updates automatically, and you can also check status online using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.¹⁵

To move faster, you can pay a $60 expedite fee on top of the standard fees for two-to-three-week processing, and you can add 1-to-3-day delivery for $22.05 on the return trip. Both options are available at any acceptance facility.¹³

For truly urgent needs, international travel within 14 days or a life-or-death emergency, you can make an appointment at a regional passport agency, which can sometimes turn a passport around in days. Bring printed proof of your travel plans — a flight receipt, hotel reservation, or cruise ticket — and pay the $60 expedite fee on top of the standard fees. Passport agencies accept credit cards, debit cards, and contactless payment, but generally not personal checks. Appointments fill quickly during peak season, so call or go online as soon as you know you need one.

1
U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
2
eCFR. 22 CFR 51.21 – Execution of Passport Application
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U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
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U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services
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eCFR. 22 CFR Part 51, Subpart C – Evidence of U.S. Citizenship or Nationality
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U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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eCFR. 26 CFR 301.6039E-1 – Information Reporting by Passport Applicants
9
U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
10
U.S. Department of State. Form DS-3053 – Statement of Consent for U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child
11
eCFR. 22 CFR 51.20 – General
12
U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card
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Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
14
U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
15
U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status