Where and how you apply
First-time applicants cannot apply by mail. You fill out Form DS-11 and take it in person to a passport acceptance facility, which in most towns is a post office, a county clerk's office or a public library. Most require an appointment, and spring appointments disappear quickly. Complete the form beforehand, and do not sign it. The acceptance agent must watch you sign under oath.
What goes in the envelope
- You need the unsigned DS-11, printed single-sided.
- You need original proof of citizenship, usually a certified birth certificate that bears the registrar's seal and lists your parents' names, or a naturalization certificate.
- You need a plain photocopy of that document, which the agent keeps with the application.
- You need a valid photo ID, such as a driver's license, and a photocopy of its front and back.
- You need one color photo, two inches by two inches, taken within the last six months against a plain white background with no glasses.
- You need two separate payments: the application fee to the Department of State, generally by check or money order, and a smaller execution fee to the facility itself.
The current fees are listed on travel.state.gov, and they change from time to time. Your birth certificate goes off with the application and is mailed back separately, often a week or two after the passport arrives.
Book, card and minors
The passport book is what you need for international air travel. The wallet-size passport card costs far less but works only for land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. An adult passport lasts ten years. A passport issued before age sixteen lasts five, and for those children both parents must appear or the absent parent must send a notarized consent form. Applicants of sixteen and seventeen need to show that a parent knows about the application.
Timing
Routine processing swings with demand and has run from a few weeks to several months, and the posted estimate does not include mailing time in either direction. Expedited service shortens the wait for an added fee, and faster return delivery can be bought on top of it. If you must travel internationally within about two weeks, call the National Passport Information Center for an appointment at a regional passport agency, and bring proof of the trip.
Tip Many countries refuse entry if your passport expires within six months of your visit. Count your ten years as nine and a half, and renew by mail before a trip forces the matter.
