On both Form DS-11 and Form DS-82, the name section at the top of the application has a dedicated suffix box next to the boxes for last name, first name, and middle name. That is where your suffix goes on a passport application. Enter only the suffix itself (Jr., Sr., II, III, and so on) in that box. Do not attach it to your last name, and do not squeeze it into the first-name field.1U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms2U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
If you are renewing online through the State Department’s portal at opr.travel.state.gov, the digital form has its own separate suffix field. Online renewal is available only to U.S. citizens age 25 or older who are not changing any personal information and whose passport is expiring within one year or expired less than five years ago.3U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
How to Format the Suffix
Generational numbers must be written in Roman numerals. If you would normally write “2nd” or “3rd,” convert them to “II” or “III” for the suffix box.4Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes Abbreviations like “Jr.” and “Sr.” are accepted as written.
Expect the printed passport to look different from what you wrote. The Foreign Affairs Manual instructs processing staff to cross out all punctuation in names except apostrophes and hyphens.4Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes “Jr.” on your application becomes “JR” on the passport data page, without the period. You can still write it with the period on the form; the strip happens during printing.
Can You Add or Drop a Suffix?
This depends on which form you file, and it is where most applicants get tripped up.
On Form DS-11, you have broad flexibility. The Foreign Affairs Manual says a suffix can be added or dropped based on your preference, regardless of whether it appears on your birth certificate or photo ID.4Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes If your birth certificate reads “John Smith Jr.” but you have never used the suffix, leave the box blank. If you want to add a generational suffix that is not on your birth certificate, you can write it in.
On Form DS-82, you cannot. Adding or dropping a suffix on a renewal is treated as an “immaterial name change,” which is not permitted on DS-82.4Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes If your current passport includes a suffix and you want it removed, or omits one and you want it added, apply on DS-11 instead. DS-82 locks you into whatever is printed on the passport you are renewing.
When Your Documents Disagree
If your birth certificate shows a suffix but your driver’s license does not (or vice versa), processing staff will generally assume you want the suffix included when it appears on your evidence of citizenship, unless you specifically ask to drop it.4Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 403.1 Name Usage and Name Changes Anywhere you write the suffix on the application, including in your signature, will be read as part of the name you want on the passport. Be deliberate.
Consistency across government documents is worth aiming for even when the rules give you a choice. If your Social Security records, driver’s license, and birth certificate all say “III,” putting “III” on the passport avoids friction with background checks, banking, and future applications.
What About Your Airline Ticket?
A common worry is that the name on an airline ticket needs to include the suffix to match the passport. It does not. TSA’s Secure Flight system does not consider suffixes when vetting reservations, and airlines are instructed not to enter suffixes in the passenger name field, the Secure Flight data, or the APIS passport information.5American Airlines SalesLink. Passenger Name Field Matching is done on first and last name only. If your passport reads “SMITH JR JOHN WILLIAM,” a ticket that says “JOHN SMITH” is fine. Adding a suffix to your booking can create the mismatch you were trying to prevent.
Fixing a Suffix Error After the Passport Arrives
If the printed passport has the wrong suffix or is missing one it should have, you can get it corrected at no cost by mailing Form DS-5504 with the current passport, one color photo, and evidence of the error such as a birth certificate showing the correct name.6U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport There is no fee for correcting a data or printing error.7U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
Timing matters. Report the error within one year of issuance and the replacement is valid for a full 10 years. Report it after one year and the replacement is valid only until the expiration date of the original.6U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport Open the envelope and check the name page as soon as the passport arrives; the one-year window is generous, but most people don’t look closely until a trip is imminent.