If you have never held a US passport, the short answer is this: you apply in person, with Form DS-11, proof of citizenship, photo ID, and a regulation photo. This guide on how to apply for a passport walks through each step, including renewals, children’s passports, fees, and how long the whole thing takes, so you only have to make one trip to the acceptance facility.
The rules below come from the US Department of State, which issues all US passports. Fees and processing times change from time to time, so confirm the current figures on the State Department’s website before your appointment, and treat the timelines here as a planning guide rather than a promise.
First-Time Applicants: Apply in Person With Form DS-11
First-time applicants, anyone whose previous passport was lost or stolen, and most children must apply in person at a passport acceptance facility. Thousands of post offices, public libraries, courthouses, and county clerk offices around the country take passport applications, and many require or recommend an appointment.
Fill out Form DS-11 before you go. You can complete it online and print it, or print a blank form and fill it in by hand in black ink. Do not sign it at home; you will sign it in front of the acceptance agent. Bring unsigned forms, your documents, your photo, and payment, and expect the appointment itself to take about 15 to 30 minutes if your paperwork is in order.
What to Bring: The Documents Checklist
For a first-time application you need three categories of paperwork. First, proof of US citizenship: most people use a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state where they were born, with a raised seal or official stamp. A previous US passport, a naturalization certificate, or a certificate of citizenship also works.
Second, a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or military ID. Third, photocopies: bring a plain, single-sided black-and-white photocopy of both your citizenship evidence and your ID. The acceptance facility keeps the photocopies, and your original citizenship document is mailed in with the application and returned to you separately by mail.
The Photo Rules That Trip People Up
Passport photos follow strict rules, and rejected photos are one of the most common causes of delay. The photo must be 2 by 2 inches, in color, taken within the last six months, against a plain white or off-white background. You must face the camera directly with a neutral expression or natural smile.
Eyeglasses are not allowed in passport photos, and neither are hats or head coverings, except for religious or medical reasons supported by a signed statement. Many acceptance facilities and photo shops offer passport photo services for a small fee, which is money well spent if you are unsure. Do not staple the photo to the form unless the agent tells you to; facilities have a specific way they attach it.
Fees: What You Will Actually Pay
The cost has two parts. The application fee for the passport itself is paid to the US Department of State, usually by check or money order for in-person applications. A separate execution fee, sometimes called the acceptance fee, is paid to the facility that takes your application, and facilities vary in which payment methods they accept for that part.
Adult passport books cost more than children’s, and the thinner passport card costs less than the book. Optional extras add up: expedited processing, faster delivery, and a file search if you cannot provide citizenship evidence. Because fee amounts change, check the official fee chart before writing any checks, and bring more than one payment method to your appointment.
Renewing a Passport: Mail and Online Options
Many adults never set foot in an acceptance facility to renew. If your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were age 16 or older, and is in your current name (or you have legal documents for a name change), you can generally renew by mail with Form DS-82. You mail in the old passport, a new photo, the form, and payment, and the old passport is returned to you, cancelled, along with or shortly after the new one.
The State Department has also rolled out online renewal for eligible adults, which lets you upload a digital photo and pay by card instead of mailing anything. Eligibility rules for online renewal are narrower than for mail renewal, so read the requirements carefully. If you do not qualify for either option, you simply apply in person again with Form DS-11, the same as a first-timer.
Passports for Children
Every child needs their own passport, including infants. Children under 16 must apply in person with Form DS-11, and both parents or legal guardians should appear with the child. If one parent cannot come, there are consent forms and special rules, so check the requirements well ahead of time.
Child passports are valid for five years and cannot be renewed by mail; when one expires, you apply in person again from scratch. Passports for 16- and 17-year-olds are valid for ten years like adult passports, and older teens usually apply in person with at least one parent present or with documented parental awareness.
How Long It Takes: Routine, Expedited, and Urgent Travel
Processing times swing with demand, and spring and early summer are the busiest seasons. Routine service commonly takes several weeks door to door, including mailing time at both ends. Expedited service costs an additional government fee and typically cuts the wait significantly, and you can also pay for faster delivery options in each direction.
If your international trip is imminent, the State Department offers in-person appointments at passport agencies for urgent travel, generally when your trip is within about two weeks, with earlier access for life-or-death emergencies. These appointments are limited and must be booked through the official appointment system; you will need proof of your upcoming travel. The safest strategy of all is boring: check your passport’s expiration date today, and remember that many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates.
Passport Book vs Passport Card
The passport book is the full document, valid for international air travel anywhere in the world. The passport card is a wallet-sized card that is cheaper, but it can only be used for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. It is not valid for international flights.
Frequent border crossers in border states love the card, and it doubles as a handy proof of citizenship and identity at home. Most travelers planning flights abroad should simply get the book. You can apply for both at the same appointment if you want the card as a backup document.
When You Do Not Need a Passport at All
Plenty of great trips require no passport. US citizens fly to Hawaii and Puerto Rico and drive anywhere in the 50 states with ordinary ID, so if your passport is delayed, a trip built from our honolulu travel guide or the slow drive in our florida keys road trip itinerary still works beautifully. The seasonal advice in our best time to visit hawaii guide and the shores in our best beaches in the usa list make a strong no-passport Plan B.
Cruises are the famous gray area. US citizens on closed-loop cruises, sailings that start and end at the same US port, have traditionally been able to travel with a birth certificate and government photo ID instead of a passport book. Even so, if you miss the ship or need to fly home from a foreign port, you need a passport, which is why our alaska cruise guide and cruise lines alike recommend bringing the book anyway.
After You Apply: Tracking and Next Steps
You can check your application status online starting roughly two weeks after you apply, and sign up for email updates during the application process. Your new passport and your returned citizenship documents arrive in separate mailings, so do not panic when the first envelope lacks your birth certificate.
Once the passport is in hand, the fun part starts. Protect the trip you are planning with our travel insurance guide, pack it in the document section of the bag you build from our carry-on packing list, and if this is your first big trip on your own, our solo travel usa guide builds confidence before you go international. Then put the money you saved on agent fees toward the trip itself, starting with these tips to find cheap flights for your first international trip and the light-packing approach in this guide to backpacking on a budget for longer adventures.
Key Takeaways
- First-timers apply in person with Form DS-11; many adults renew by mail with DS-82 or online.
- Bring citizenship proof, photo ID, photocopies, and a regulation 2×2 photo.
- Expect two payments: a State Department application fee plus a facility execution fee.
- Apply months ahead; routine processing takes several weeks, and many countries want six months of validity.
Sort the documents, book the appointment, and the passport mostly takes care of itself. It is the single document that turns “someday” trips into booked ones.
