The issuing authority on a U.S. passport is the United States Department of State. That is what to write when a form asks for it, and that is what appears on the passport itself. The wording is the same for standard tourist passports and passport cards issued to nearly every U.S. citizen.1U.S. Department of State. About Us
Where to Find It on Your Passport
Open the passport book to the data page, the one with your photo, name, date of birth, and passport number. Near the bottom, look for the field labeled Authority. On current U.S. passports it reads “United States Department of State.” The passport card carries the same text.
Older books sometimes list a more specific office instead, such as the National Passport Center or a city-based passport agency. That is still a valid entry. The Department of State issued the passport in every case; the older format just named the office that handled the printing. If a form asks for the issuing authority and your data page shows one of those office names, copy what is printed rather than substituting the general wording.
Issuing Authority vs. Issuing Country
Forms use these two terms for different things, and mixing them up is the reason most people end up looking this up.
- The issuing authority is the government body that issued the passport: United States Department of State.
- The issuing country is simply United States.
A few common forms and what they want:
- DS-160, the U.S. nonimmigrant visa application, asks for the “Country/Authority that issued passport.” For a U.S. citizen, the answer is United States.1U.S. Department of State. About Us
- DS-260, the immigrant visa application, asks for the country or authority that issued your travel documents.
- Airline advance passenger information screens usually ask for “passport issued by” or “issuing country.” Enter United States or pick it from the dropdown.
- Form I-9, used for employment eligibility, records the issuing authority when a passport is the identity document. For a U.S. passport, that is the U.S. Department of State.
Read the field label carefully. Both pieces of information sit on the data page, so if the form is ambiguous, you can copy whichever it seems to want.
Passports Issued at Embassies, Consulates, or as Special Issuance
If you applied at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, the issuing authority is still the Department of State. Consular officers act on its behalf, and the data page will not name the embassy.
Diplomatic passports (black cover), official passports (maroon cover), and service passports are issued through the Department’s Special Issuance Agency and go to government employees, diplomats, and military personnel on official business.2Travel.State.Gov. Steps to Apply for a Special Issuance Passport The Authority field on these books may reference the Special Issuance Agency rather than the general wording. If you hold one, copy exactly what is printed on your data page instead of assuming it matches a standard tourist passport.
What to Do If the Authority Field Is Misprinted
If the Authority line on your passport is misprinted, has crooked text, or shows discoloration, the Department of State treats it as a printing error and will reissue the passport at no charge.3U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport You submit Form DS-5504 along with the current passport, one color passport photo, and evidence of the correct information, such as a birth certificate.
Timing matters. Report the error within one year of the passport being issued and the replacement is valid for a full 10 years. Report it after one year and the corrected passport is only valid until the original’s expiration date.3U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport The difference can be several years of validity, so it is worth acting quickly once you notice the problem.