What to Bring to a Passport Appointment: Documents, Photo, and Fees

For an in-person passport appointment, bring six things: an original document proving U.S. citizenship, a valid photo ID, a photocopy of each, one compliant 2-by-2-inch passport photo, your completed but unsigned Form DS-11, and two separate payments (one check to the U.S. Department of State and one payment to the acceptance facility). Miss any of these and the agent can turn you away.

Original Proof of U.S. Citizenship

You must hand the agent an original citizenship document. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted. The most common option is a certified birth certificate from your state’s vital records office. To qualify, it has to show your full name, date and place of birth, both parents’ full names, the date it was filed with the registrar (within one year of birth), the registrar’s signature, and a raised, embossed, or multicolored seal.¹

Hospital-issued birth certificates and commemorative city or county certificates do not count. You need the state version with the official seal.

Other originals that work: a Certificate of Naturalization, a Certificate of Citizenship, or a previously issued undamaged U.S. passport (expired is fine).¹

If You Cannot Get a Birth Certificate

If your state’s vital records office cannot locate your birth record, request a Letter of No Record. It needs to include your name, date of birth, the years searched, and confirmation that no record was found. Bring that letter plus secondary evidence such as a hospital birth certificate, baptismal certificate, census records, or early school records.² The more secondary documents you can gather, the stronger your case.

A Valid Photo ID

You also need to prove you are who you say you are. Any one of these works as primary identification:

An in-state, fully valid driver’s license (not expired, not a temporary paper version)
A U.S. military ID (active duty, reserve, or dependent)
A federal, state, county, or city government employee ID
A valid or expired U.S. passport book or card
A Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship (which doubles as citizenship proof)
A Trusted Traveler card: Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST

If all you have is a learner’s permit, a temporary license, or a non-driver state ID, the agent may ask for a second piece of identification. If you have no photo ID at all, you can bring an identifying witness who signs Form DS-71 in front of the agent. That form is only available at acceptance facilities and passport agencies, so plan for it in advance.³

Photocopies of Both Documents

Photocopy your citizenship document and both sides of your photo ID before you leave home. The acceptance facility will not do this for you. Copies have to be on standard 8.5-by-11-inch paper, printed on a single side.⁴ Check that the print is legible; a blurry copy can get your application rejected. The agent keeps the copies and hands your originals back.

One Passport Photo

Bring one 2-by-2-inch color photo taken within the last six months against a plain white or off-white background with no shadows or lines.⁵ Selfies against a bedroom wall rarely meet the specs. If you are not sure yours does, use a photo service at a drugstore or an acceptance facility that offers on-site photos.

All eyeglasses come off for the photo, including prescription, sunglasses, and tinted lenses. The only exception is a signed medical statement from a doctor. Keep a neutral expression, both eyes open, mouth closed. No hats or head coverings unless worn for religious reasons, and even then your full face has to be visible.⁵

A Completed but Unsigned Form DS-11

Form DS-11 is the application for a first-time passport. Fill it out online at pptform.state.gov and print it, or pick up a blank at your facility. If you write it by hand, use black ink only. No white-out. If you make a mistake, start over with a fresh form.⁶

The form asks for your Social Security Number. Providing it is required by federal law, and submitting an application without one or with a knowingly incorrect one gives the State Department grounds to deny the passport.⁷ If you have never been issued a Social Security Number, enter zeros in that field and bring a signed, dated statement saying so.

You will need your parents’ full names and other family details. Have that information handy before you sit down to fill out the form. Blank fields and guesses cause delays.

The rule that catches the most applicants: do not sign the form in advance. Leave the signature line blank. The acceptance agent has to watch you sign it and administer an oath at the appointment.⁶

Two Separate Payments

Passport fees are split between two entities, and you cannot combine them. This is where a lot of first-time applicants get sent home.

Application Fee to the U.S. Department of State

An adult passport book (age 16 and older) is $130. A child’s passport book (under 16) is $100. A passport card adds $30 for adults or $15 for children, but the card is only good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, so most travelers need the book.⁸

Pay this fee by check (personal, certified, cashier’s, or traveler’s) or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State.” Write the applicant’s name and date of birth in the memo line. Cash and credit cards are not accepted for this portion.⁸

Execution Fee to the Acceptance Facility

Every in-person applicant pays a separate $35 execution fee to the acceptance facility itself.⁹ Accepted payment methods for this fee vary. Some facilities take cash, credit, or debit; others do not. Call your specific facility beforehand so you show up with the right form of payment.

Optional Add-Ons

Expedited processing costs an extra $60 per application.⁹ One-to-three-day return shipping from the State Department is $22.05.¹⁰ An adult applying for a book with both add-ons pays $247.05 total. Both add-ons go on the State Department check.

Extra Documents for a Child’s Appointment

Children under 16 cannot apply alone. Both parents or guardians have to appear at the facility with the child and sign the application.¹¹

If one parent cannot attend, the absent parent must complete Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) in front of a certified notary and provide a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary. The notarized DS-3053 has to be dated within three months of the appointment.¹¹ If neither parent can attend, both submit a notarized DS-3053 authorizing whoever will bring the child.

Applicants 16 and 17 can apply on their own with their identification documents as long as one parent either attends the appointment or provides a signed statement acknowledging the teen is seeking a passport.¹²

How the Appointment Uses What You Bring

The appointment usually takes 10 to 15 minutes when your documents are in order. You hand the agent your unsigned DS-11, the original citizenship document, your photo ID, both photocopies, the photo, and both payments. The agent compares originals to copies, checks your photo, and reviews the form. Then you raise your right hand and swear or affirm that everything on the application is true.¹³ You sign the form in front of the agent, who seals the packet for the State Department processing center and returns your original citizenship document and photo ID. You leave with a receipt and a tracking number.

1
U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
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USAGov. Prove Your Citizenship – Born in the U.S. With No Birth Certificate
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U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Adult Passport
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U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714a – Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Unpaid Taxes
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. United States Passport Fees for Acceptance Facilities
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USPS. Passport Appointments, Renewals, and Photo Services
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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USAGov. Get a Passport for a Minor Under 18
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eCFR. 22 CFR 51.21 – Execution of Passport Application