Applying for a passport can be a mysterious process for those who have never held one. Many applications are turned down due to errors made by the applicant. Arriving at the passport agency without the proper documents is one key reason for rejection. The information presented here will help you to get your passport application approved without a frustrating waste of time.
First of all, consider whether you can renew your passport by mail. If your current passport is less than 15 years old and is undamaged, you may qualify. However, you must be at least 16 years old now and when the original passport was issued. If your current name differs from your passport, you can still renew by mail but you must provide legal proof, such as a marriage license, that documents your new name.
If it is during the busiest time of year, such as the summer, it can take up to 3 months to receive your passport. During off-peak periods, it may only take 4 or 6 weeks. These times can be halved if you wish to pay an extra $60 for expedited service. When mailing in an application, place the passport forms and your documentation in an envelope that will protect it from the weather. It is also best to use a carrier that allows you to track your mailing and verify proof of delivery.
If you have never had a passport, or if it has been more than 15 years since you received one, you have to apply at the issuing site. This is also the case if the age limit of 16 cannot be met. If your current passport has been damaged, stolen, or lost, you must also apply in person. Also, anyone with a name change he or she cannot document must make personal application.
The most popular places to apply in person are county clerk offices and post offices. Regional passport agencies can also issue passports, but many states do not have an agency. Each type of operation will have different business hours, but all will require that you furnish the same documentation. Proof of citizenship is one requirement. This can be provided in the form of an official birth certificate (the type with an embossed seal) or a certificate of naturalization or citizenship. Your old passport can be accepted if it is undamaged. For U.S. citizens born abroad, a consular report or certificate of birth can be used.
You must also prove your identity. A passport can do double duty and fulfill this requirement as well as proving your citizenship. A state issued ID card or driver’s license will also suffice. However, if your license is from a different state than the one in which you are applying for a passport, you must provide secondary identification. The agency will accept a social security card, a credit card in your name, or an identification card from your employer. Whatever forms of identification you plan to use, take along a photocopy of both sides of the document. Do not make two sided copies.
You will need two color photographs of yourself. They must be identical and no more than 6 months old. Your appearance cannot vary significantly from the photograph. Each must be 2 x 2, taken against a white or nearly white background, and be a front view of your full face. The space between bottom of chin and top of head cannot be less than 1 inch or greater than 1-3/8 inches. You should dress in your normal manner for the picture, and if that includes a wig or glasses, they should be worn in the photograph. However, do not wear a hat or hair trim that hides the hairline.
Children, emergency passports, and passports for those traveling on official business all have varying requirements, and no attempt has been made to address them in this article. But for the typical traveler, this information should help make your USA passport application go more smoothly. The most important thing to remember is to assemble your USA passport form form and take it with you when you go to apply.