Minor passport checklist for U.S. children under 16
By Babs Team · · 5 min read
Getting a child's passport means arranging the people as well as the paperwork. This checklist covers a U.S. passport application for a child under 16 at an acceptance facility, such as a participating post office or library, with both parents or guardians attending. It applies even when your child has had a passport before; urgent travel and a parent who cannot attend need different arrangements.
Applying again is different from renewing
Children under 16 must submit a new application in person each time. That includes a child whose previous passport has expired. There is no under-16 renewal by mail or online, and passports issued before age 16 are valid for five years. USA.gov's child-passport guidance confirms this distinction.
For a child who is already 16 or 17, use the separate older-teen application instructions.
Prepare the form and documents
1. Complete Form DS-11, leaving it unsigned
Use the State Department's passport form filler to complete Form DS-11 and print it single-sided. Filling it out online prepares a paper application; it does not submit it. Leave the signature blank until the acceptance agent asks you to sign.
Have your child's Social Security number available for the form if one has been issued. When completing the PDF by hand, use black ink. The DS-11 form instructions cover fields that need extra explanation, including a child who has never been issued a Social Security number.
2. Bring physical citizenship evidence and a copy
For a child under 16, bring one of these documents:
- A U.S. birth certificate that meets the State Department's requirements, including parents' full names and the issuing office's seal or stamp.
- A Consular Report of Birth Abroad or another birth document issued by the State Department.
- A Certificate of Citizenship.
- A full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport. For a child under 16, full validity means it was issued for five years; it may now be expired.
Bring the original or an official replacement, plus a photocopy. A replacement birth certificate must have the issuing office's official seal or stamp. Electronic birth certificates are not accepted.
For the photocopy, copy the front and also the back if it has printed information. Use white, 8.5-by-11-inch paper, printed single-sided. The citizenship evidence requirements include the required birth-certificate details and the route for applicants without these documents.
3. Include proof of your relationship to your child
A U.S. birth certificate can establish both citizenship and the parent-child relationship. A previous passport can establish citizenship. It does not show the child's parents or guardians, so include relationship evidence too.
The State Department's relationship-document instructions cover other evidence and require legal name-change proof when a parent's or guardian's name differs from that document.
4. Bring parent or guardian photo IDs and front-and-back copies
When both parents or guardians attend, each needs a physical, government-issued photo ID. A fully valid, in-state driver's license is a common option. Digital driver's licenses and mobile IDs are not accepted.
Bring a photocopy of the front and back of every ID presented. Use white, 8.5-by-11-inch paper, single-sided, without reducing the ID image. When applying with an out-of-state ID, bring a second photo ID. The photo ID requirements list other accepted documents.
5. Bring one passport photo of your child
Prepare one color photo taken within the last six months:
- Printed at 2 by 2 inches on photo-quality paper.
- Clear and unedited, with no filters or digital changes.
- Taken against a plain white or off-white background, without shadows.
- Showing the child facing the camera directly, with the full face visible.
Glasses ordinarily need to come off. The official photo requirements show acceptable examples and explain infant photos and medical or religious exceptions.
Leave the photo loose. The acceptance agent will review and staple it to the form.
Prepare two separate fee payments
The State Department application fee and the facility acceptance fee go to different recipients. Before your appointment, use the current fee schedule for the amounts and payment instructions. Standard under-16 fees, before optional services, are:
| Application | Fees to prepare |
|---|---|
| Passport book | $100 to the State Department, plus $35 to the facility |
| Passport card | $15 to the State Department, plus $35 to the facility |
| Book and card together | $115 to the State Department, plus $35 to the facility |
For the State Department fee, bring a check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State,” with your child's name and date of birth in the memo. The facility sets its accepted payment methods for the separate $35 fee; use its appointment or payment instructions to prepare that payment.
For international flights, choose a passport book. A passport card's travel use is limited to certain land and sea crossings, and it is not valid for international air travel.
Arrange the in-person appointment
An under-16 application generally requires the child and both parents or guardians to appear together.
Use the State Department's acceptance facility locator to find a participating post office, library or local government office. Follow that location's appointment instructions, including how to include each child applying. At the appointment, the agent reviews the documents, administers an oath and has you sign the application.
For siblings, keep each child's form, citizenship evidence, copies and photo together so the documents are ready for that child's application. Either adult can prepare the papers or arrange the visit; attendance still needs to meet the passport requirements.
Urgent travel follows a different appointment route. Use the State Department's where-to-apply guidance for that decision.
Consent and other application exceptions
If one or both parents or guardians cannot attend, additional documentation is required. Follow the State Department's parent and guardian instructions for the applicable circumstances. Those instructions also cover additional requirements for a lost or damaged passport and applications abroad. For missing citizenship evidence, use the citizenship-evidence instructions linked above.
Once the application visit is arranged, our family trip-planning guide helps divide the booking and preparation work across the household.
Keep the passport appointment on the family calendar
Once your passport visit is booked, Babs can catch the appointment confirmation in your connected Gmail inbox and surface the details for you to review. You can then add the appointment to Google Calendar in one tap. On a shared calendar, everyone attending can see when they need to be there, rather than leaving the confirmation in one person's inbox.
Join the Babs waitlist for help turning emailed family appointments into a schedule the household can see.
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