Apply for a Child's Passport Under 16

Use our form filler tool to complete your child's form on a computer. Print it on single-sided paper. We do not accept double-sided forms. 

• Do not sign your child's application until a passport acceptance agent asks you to do so.  
• You can apply for a passport book, a passport card, or both. 
• If your child travels internationally several times a year, you can request a passport book with extra visa pages. Check the ”large book” box at the top of the application. 
• Download a PDF if you are experiencing technical issues with the Form Filler. 

You must provide evidence of your child’s U.S. citizenship with 1 of the following documents: 

• U.S. birth certificate
• A Consular Report of Birth Abroad or any birth document issued by the U.S. Department of State. 
• A Certificate of Citizenship 
• A full validity, undamaged U.S. passport. This means the passport is or was valid for 5 years for children under 16. 

We need to verify the legal relationship between every child and parent or guardian. 

If you don’t have a U.S. birth certificate to prove your child’s U.S. citizenship and your relationship, you must submit a document that shows who the child’s parents or legal guardians are.  

Examples include: 

• Foreign birth certificate 
• Adoption decree 
• Divorce or custody decree 
• Court order 

If your name is different than the one on the document showing your relationship to your child, submit proof of your legal name change.  

Examples include:  

• Name change decree 
• Marriage certificate 

Both parents or guardians must bring a physical, photo identification (ID) to apply for a child’s passport.  

• The most common photo ID we accept is a fully-valid driver’s license or enhanced driver’s license with photo.  
• If your ID is from a different state than the state you are applying in, bring a second photo ID.  
• Visit Photo Identification for the full list of acceptable photo IDs. 

Photocopy requirements 

• Use 8.5 inch by 11 inch paper. 
• Use a single side of the paper. 

Both parents or guardians must be present with the child applying in person or give approval before we can issue a passport.

Additional application requirements 

You must provide more information or documents if: 

• Your child’s current valid passport is lost or stolen. 
• Your child’s valid passport is damaged. 
  • Provide a signed statement explaining the damage. Submit the damaged passport.
  • Examples of passport damage include water damage, mold, stains, significant tears, unofficial markings, or missing pages. Normal wear such as folded pages or a small bend does not count as a damaged passport. 

You must provide 1 photo with your child's application. Visit Passport Photos for requirements and to review examples. 

Do not attach or staple your child's photo to the form. The acceptance agent or passport employee will review the photo and staple it for you. 

You must bring your child and submit your child’s passport application, documents, and fees at an authorized passport acceptance facility. The passport agent will verify your ID, give you an oath, and have you sign your child’s application.  

When you apply for your child's passport using Form DS-11, you must pay 2 fees. The passport application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State, and the facility acceptance fee goes to the facility where you submit your application. 

How to pay your child’s passport application fee 

• Use a check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of State." 
• Write the child's name and date of birth in the memo section. 
• We prefer that each child has a separate check or money order. 
  • If a family applying together only has 1 check or money order, we will accept it. Please include the names and dates of birth of each applicant, and the number of applications in the memo section. 

How to pay the facility acceptance fee 

Find an acceptance facility to pay the $35 fee. Find out what payment methods they accept.  

For more information on how to pay and a full list of fees, go to Passport Fees. 

Expedited delivery fees 

• For faster expedited service, add $60 to your application fee. 
• To speed up your application, pay at the acceptance facility for faster Priority Mail Express shipping. The cost for this service varies by location. 
• If you want your new passport in 1-3 days after we mail it, add $22.05 to your application fee. 

Processing times 

Current processing times are:  

• 4-6 weeks for routine service 
• 2-3 weeks for expedite service (extra $60)  

Our processing times do not include mailing times. Consider the total time it will take to receive your passport when you are booking travel.  

It may take 2 weeks for your application to get to us. After we finish processing, add 2 more weeks for you to get your child’s new passport in the mail. 

Delivery and mailing times may be different in your area. Check your email for status updates. You can also visit passportstatus.state.gov to find out when your passport will arrive. 

Submitting your application in the United States 

Where you apply depends on how soon your child is traveling. 

• Traveling in more than 3 weeks – Go to a passport acceptance facility such as a post office, library, or local government office. Check with the facility to see if you need to make an appointment. 
• Traveling internationally in less than 3 weeks – Make an appointment to apply at a passport agency or center once you're within 14 days of international travel.  

Submitting your application abroad 

Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in your destination for instructions.  

After you sign and submit your child’s passport application, the facility will mail it to the U.S. Department of State for processing. This may take up to 2 weeks.  

We will send status updates to the email address you provided on your child’s application. You will know we are processing the application when you get an email update of “In Process.”  You can also check the status of the application online.

If you have not received application status updates, want to change the email receiving status updates, or want to learn more about each status update, visit Checking Your Application Status. 

If you ordered a passport book, it will arrive via a trackable delivery service. If you ordered a passport card, it will arrive via First Class Mail.  

We return your supporting documents by First Class Mail to the mailing address you listed in your child’s application.   

• These documents include a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate.  
• You can expect to receive these documents up to 4 weeks after your passport book or card.  

If you have been waiting more than 4 weeks for your child’s documents, dial 877-487-2778 to report it.  

If you want us to reimburse you for a lost supporting document, you must contact us within 120 days of the date when we mailed your passport.   

Provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the document.