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US Passport Assistance for the International Traveler

Important Notices Regarding a Child US Passport

All Minors Must Appear in Person

To enhance the accurate identification of passport applicants and aid in the prevention of international child abduction and trafficking, the Department of State requires the personal appearance of all minors applying for a US passport.

This applies to all tourist/business, official and diplomatic passports for children under the age of 16, even if the child has previously been issued a passport. Parents are required to have their child present and submit documentation of parental relationship and consent, as well as comply with all other documentation requirements for the issuance of a passport.

The personal appearance requirement for all children is a further step toward ensuring the integrity of the passport application process. This change will help to verify the identity of minor applicants and aid in the prevention of international child abduction and trafficking.

Consent Statements by Non-Applying Parents Included with Passport Applications for Children Must Be Notarized.

The Department of State requires that all consent statements by a non-applying parent included with US passport applications for minors under age 16 be notarized.

The consent statement must include the child's name and date of birth, as well as parent's identification information or a copy of his/her ID.

This new requirement is being implemented to enhance the accurate identification of applicants and aid in the prevention of international child abduction and substitution.

PASSPORTS FOR CHILDREN

Either parent, whether a US citizen or not, may apply for the US passport for their child. However, the Two Parent Consent Law requires that, for a child under the age of 16, both parents must consent to issuance, or the applying parent must document his/her sole authority to obtain a passport for the child.

Thus, before a passport is issued for such a child, Passport Services will require evidence of one of the following: sole custody, a court order allowing the parent to travel with the child; a written statement under penalty of perjury that the other parent agrees to issuance or is unavailable, a termination of the other parent’s parental rights, or compelling humanitarian reasons relating to the welfare of the child.

Grandparents may not apply for the passport of a grandchild unless they have a document of guardianship or written authority that complies with the Two-Parent Consent Law.

Minors who are 16 years and older execute their own passport application with proper identification from a parent or responsible adult.

PASSPORT RESTRICTION FOR MINORS

A state court has the authority to order a parent, possessing a child’s passport, to surrender the passport to the court or the court’s designee. Such an order is enforceable by the court’s authorities under its state’s law. The court may hold the passport as long as it deems necessary to reduce the likelihood of the removal of a minor child from the United States. In such a case, the action to withhold the passport should be reported to the Office of Children’s Issues (address below) to prevent unauthorized attempts to replace it. Questions about the possible value of passport revocation should be sent to the Office of Legal Affairs (address below).

At the request of either parent or his/her attorney, the Department of State will give effect to the intent of state civil court orders regarding a child’s custody and/or travel by denying a minor child’s passport when appropriate. See 22 C.F.R. 51.1. A request for passport denial should be sent to the Office of Children’s Issues.

Moreover, independently, or in conjunction with a court proceeding, a parent or attorney may request the Office of Children’s Issues to place the child’s name in the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP) lookout system. Under this system, the Department of State will notify the requesting parent or attorney that a passport application is being filed for the child. In these cases, if the Department has on file a court order granting sole custody to one parent, or restricting the child’s travel, the passport would be denied.

All requests must be in writing, and include the child’s full name, date of birth, place of birth, social security number, address, and phone number of the requester.

It is vitally important that parents with concerns about parental child abduction consider CPIAP as an abduction prevention measure. While Passport Services does its best to prevent it, we are aware that some would-be abducting parents have succeeded in evading the Two-Parent Consent Law by the presentation of misleading or false evidence. Once a passport has been issued, its recovery, and the recovery of the child, is extremely difficult.

Unless parental rights have been removed, either parent, with or without custody, can obtain information about his/her minor child’s passport status as part of a passport restriction request.