Passports for Minors: How to Get a US Passport for Your Child

Every child, including a newborn, needs their own passport for international travel. For a child under 16, the child appears in person at a passport acceptance facility, such as many post offices and county clerk offices, with both parents or guardians. Bring the following.

The parent who can’t attend signs Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, in front of a notary, and the attending parent submits it with a photocopy of the ID the absent parent showed the notary. The consent expires 90 days after notarization, so submit the application within that window.

If one parent has sole legal custody, bring evidence such as a court order, or a death certificate if the other parent has died. If the other parent truly can’t be located, Form DS-5525, Statement of Exigent or Special Family Circumstances, explains why; the State Department reviews these case by case.

Teens 16 and 17 apply in person with Form DS-11 for their first adult passport, which is valid for 10 years and carries adult fees. They don’t need both parents’ consent, but the State Department may ask for evidence that a parent is aware of the application, such as a parent attending or providing a signed note with a copy of their ID.

A passport issued before age 16 can’t be renewed by mail, so a teen with a child passport applies in person again. Once they hold an adult passport, future renewals can follow the adult passport renewal process.

Apply at least three months before international travel, and earlier before summer, when demand peaks. Processing times vary through the year, so check current estimates at travel.state.gov and pay to expedite if your trip is close.

Because child passports last only five years, check every family member’s expiration date before booking. Many countries expect passports to be valid for some months beyond your stay; see the passport validity rule, and use our travel document checklist to cover everyone.

If a child travels internationally with only one parent, carry a signed consent letter from the other parent. CBP recommends it, and some countries or airlines may ask for one. Parents concerned about an unauthorized passport application can enroll a child under 18 in the State Department’s Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program.

For the trip itself, see our guide to flying with kids, and for bigger family journeys, multigenerational family travel.