How Do You Apply for a U.S. Passport for a Child Under 16?

The under-16 rule in one table

| Rule | Both parents or guardians must be present with the child applying in person, or give approval before issuance | | Renewal | None. A child's passport cannot be renewed. Apply in person each time | | Validity | 5 years | | Form | DS-11, completed with the Form Filler, printed single-sided, unsigned until the agent asks | | Citizenship evidence | One of: a U.S. birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or any State-issued birth document, a Certificate of Citizenship, or a full-validity undamaged U.S. passport. Paper only, original or sealed version plus a photocopy | | Fee, child book | 100 dollars plus a 35 dollar facility acceptance fee, 135 dollars in total | | Fee, child card | 15 dollars plus 35 dollars, 50 dollars in total | | Fee, child book and card | 115 dollars plus 35 dollars, 150 dollars in total | | Processing | Routine 4 to 6 weeks, expedited 2 to 3 weeks, mailing times excluded |

What makes under-16 different

Both parents approve. That is the element that separates this track from the 16 and 17 track, where exactly one parent must be shown aware, and from the adult track, where no parent element exists at all. Both parents or guardians must be present with the child, or give approval before issuance. A merged minor-passport page would misstate both tracks, so this page covers only the under-16 rule.

The second difference is consent fallbacks with teeth. An absent parent signs and dates Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, before a certified notary, plus a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary. DS-3053 and other notarized statements must be submitted within 90 days of signing or notarizing. Sole authority is shown by a court order granting sole custody or sole permission to apply, a certified birth certificate or adoption decree listing only the applying parent, a certified death certificate, or a certified judicial declaration of incompetence. A parent outside the U.S. may need to notarize at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and in a listed set of countries embassy or consulate notarization is required.

The process, step by step

1. Complete Form DS-11 with the Form Filler on a computer and print it single-sided. Do not sign until the acceptance agent asks. Book, card, or both, with the large-book box for frequent travelers.
2. Gather one citizenship document from the table, plus a photocopy. No digital or mobile birth certificate. Bring the original or sealed version.
3. Add parental-relationship evidence if the birth certificate does not already show both citizenship and relationship: a foreign birth certificate, adoption decree, divorce or custody decree, or court order, plus name-change proof if a parent's name differs.
4. Both parents or guardians bring a physical photo ID, most often a fully valid driver's or enhanced license. An out-of-state ID needs a second photo ID. Photocopy the front and back of each parent's ID on single-sided 8.5 by 11 inch paper, plus a photocopy of the child's citizenship evidence.
5. Get one photo. Do not attach or staple it. The agent staples it.
6. Bring the child and submit at an authorized acceptance facility. The agent verifies ID, administers the oath, and has the parents sign. A third-party applicant, such as a grandparent, proves permission with DS-3053 or notarized statements from both parents plus both parents' ID photocopies, and a single-parent statement there also needs sole-custody proof.
7. Pay the two-fee split: 100 dollars plus 35 dollars for a child book, by check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State, with the child's name and date of birth in the memo, a separate check per child preferred. Expedited service adds 60 dollars. Return delivery in 1 to 3 days adds 26 dollars and 87 cents.

If consent or sole custody cannot be obtained in time, Form DS-5525, Statement of Special Family Circumstances, is the fallback, with possible further evidence against international parental child abduction. A deployed military parent provides a notarized DS-3053 in most cases. When the passport arrives, a parent prints the child's full name on the signature line, signs next to it, and notes the relationship. The Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program is a free alert service to a parent or guardian when a child's application is filed. It is not a step in the application.

Related passport guides

At 16 and 17, the rule loosens to one parent shown aware: see U.S. Passport for 16 and 17 Year Olds. A lost, stolen, or damaged child passport follows the lost or stolen track or the damaged track, with the signed damage statement for damage. For every passport track side by side, see the U.S. Passport Guides by Situation directory.

Source

The both-parents rule, the consent fallbacks, the fees, and the processing times on this page come from the U.S. Department of State: the Apply for a Child's Passport Under 16 page. Child fee dollars come from the State Passport Fees page as verified for the first-time track. Facts verified 2026-10-27.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to a lawyer or your government agency.