Child Passport Checker: Under 16, Newborns and Teens
A U.S. passport for a baby, a child or a teen: who comes, what to bring, what it costs.
A child under 16 · passport book
Both parents bring the child in person: $135 for a bookValid 5 years. A child’s passport cannot be renewed: each one is a new application in person.
- Fee
- $100 + $35 = $135
- Valid
- 5 years from the day it is issued
- Start the next one
- 6 months and 10 weeks before it expires
Type the birth date for the dates: when it runs out, and when your child turns 16.
What to bring
- Form DS-11, printed on single-sided paper and not signed until the agent asks
- Your child’s U.S. citizenship evidence on paper (a U.S. birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Citizenship or a full-validity passport) and a photocopy of it
- Proof of who the parents are, if the birth certificate is not a U.S. one (a foreign birth certificate, an adoption decree, a custody order)
- Both parents’ photo IDs, and photocopies of each, front and back
- 1 photo of your child, not stapled to the form
- The fees: $100 by check or money order to "U.S. Department of State" (the child’s name and birth date in the memo), and the $35 acceptance fee as the facility takes it
The State Department’s own words
- “Both parents or guardians must be present with the child applying in person.”
- “You cannot renew a child’s passport. You must apply in-person each time.”
- “Passports for children under age 16 are valid for 5 years.”
The rule: 22 CFR 51.28 and 51.4 (the eCFR of 2026-09-23). The forms: the State Department’s child’s passport page (its copy of 2026-07-08). Fees and times: the Passport Fee Calculator‘s.
A child under 16 applies in person with both parents, on Form DS-11: $100 for the book plus a $35 acceptance fee, $135 in all. If one parent can’t come, they sign Form DS-3053 before a notary. The passport lasts 5 years and cannot be renewed. At 16 or 17, one parent need only know, and it lasts 10 years.
How to use it
Type your child’s birth date (it never leaves your phone), choose who can come to the appointment, and book, card or both. The answer says who must come and what it costs, then lists what to bring, in order, and when this passport runs out. A baby, a child and a teen get different rules: at 16 the passport lasts twice as long and one parent need only know you are applying. For the photo, the Baby Passport Photo tool crops one to the State Department’s rules.
The rule
It is the law’s, in 22 CFR 51.28: “both parents or each of the minor’s legal guardians, if any, whether applying for a passport for the first time or for a renewal, must execute the application on behalf of a minor under age 16” — the exceptions being one parent with the other’s notarized consent or proof of sole custody, another adult with the parents’ consent, and special family circumstances. From 16, “A minor 16 years of age and above applying for a passport must appear in person and may execute the application for a passport on his or her own behalf”. How long it lasts is 22 CFR 51.4: under 16, “valid for five years from date of issue”; from 16, ten.
The State Department’s child pages say the same in practice: “Both parents or guardians must be present with the child applying in person.” “You cannot renew a child’s passport. You must apply in-person each time.” “You must submit Form DS-3053 and other notarized statements within 90 days after they are signed or notarized.” (read from the Internet Archive’s copy of 2026-07-08: travel.state.gov refuses automated readers.)
What it costs
| Document | Under 16 | 16 and 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Passport book | $100 + $35 = $135 | $130 + $35 = $165 |
| Passport card | $15 + $35 = $50 | $30 + $35 = $65 |
| Book and card | $115 + $35 = $150 | $160 + $35 = $195 |
The first amount goes to the U.S. Department of State by check or money order; the $35 is the acceptance facility’s. Expedited service is $60 more. The fees are the Passport Fee Calculator’s, from the Schedule of Fees in 22 CFR 22.1.
Who must come, and what else to bring
| Who can come | What else to bring |
|---|---|
| Both parents | Both parents’ photo IDs, and a photocopy of each, front and back |
| One parent | Form DS-3053 signed by the other parent before a notary, within 90 days, and a copy of the ID they showed |
| One parent with sole custody | A court order, a birth certificate or adoption decree naming only you, or a death certificate |
| A grandparent or other adult | Form DS-3053 or a notarized statement from both parents, within 90 days, and copies of both parents’ IDs |
| One parent, the other cannot be found | Form DS-5525, the Statement of Special Family Circumstances |
Every child also needs Form DS-11 (printed single-sided, signed only when the agent asks), paper evidence of U.S. citizenship and a photocopy of it, and 1 photo, not stapled to the form. A parent deployed by the military usually signs a notarized DS-3053, the page says.
Worked examples
A newborn’s first passport. Both parents bring the baby, the paper U.S. birth certificate (it proves citizenship and who the parents are) with a photocopy, their photo IDs with copies, a photo and Form DS-11: $100 + $35 = $135. It lasts 5 years.
A 14-year-old whose father is deployed. The mother brings the child; the father signs Form DS-3053 before a notary (abroad, he may need to use a U.S. embassy or consulate) and sends it with a copy of his ID. It must be used within 90 days of the notary’s stamp.
Fifteen and a half, in no hurry. Applied for after the 16th birthday, the same passport lasts 10 years instead of 5, and one parent need only know. The checker says so when the birthday is 6 months away or less.
Common mistakes
- Trying to renew it by mail. A passport issued before 16 cannot be renewed: every child’s passport is a new application in person.
- Signing the form at home. Sign Form DS-11 only when the acceptance agent asks.
- A phone copy of the birth certificate. Digital birth certificates are not accepted: bring the paper one with its seal.
- An old consent form. A DS-3053 must be handed in within 90 days of being signed or notarized.
- Waiting too long. Routine service takes 4–6 weeks plus up to 2 weeks each way by mail. Many countries want 6 months left on the passport: check yours with the Passport Validity Checker.
Before the trip
Some trips need no passport for a U.S. citizen: the Caribbean islands you can visit without one, and the Do I Need a Passport? checker. Choosing where to go: the most family-friendly Caribbean island. And if a passport goes missing on the way: losing a passport abroad, and what to do.
FAQ
How do I get a passport for my newborn?
Both parents bring the baby in person to a passport acceptance facility with Form DS-11, the paper U.S. birth certificate and a photocopy, their photo IDs and copies, and 1 photo. It costs $100 plus the $35 acceptance fee and lasts 5 years.
What do I need for a newborn passport?
Form DS-11, unsigned; the birth certificate on paper and a photocopy; both parents’ photo IDs and copies, front and back; a photo; a check or money order for $100 to “U.S. Department of State” and the $35 acceptance fee. If one parent can’t come, their notarized Form DS-3053.
Can you renew a minor’s passport?
Not under 16: “You cannot renew a child’s passport. You must apply in-person each time.” From 16 the first adult passport is also a new application on Form DS-11; only a passport issued at 16 or older, for 10 years, can later be renewed by mail.
How do I renew my child’s U.S. passport?
Apply again, in person, as if for the first time: Form DS-11, citizenship evidence, both parents (or the other’s notarized consent) and a new photo. The old passport counts as citizenship evidence if it was issued for the full 5 years and is undamaged.
Can I apply for my child’s passport at the post office?
Yes, at one that is a passport acceptance facility: “Go to a passport acceptance facility such as a post office, library, or local government office.” Check whether it needs an appointment. Travelling in less than 3 weeks, book a passport agency once you are within 14 days of the trip.
Do both parents need to be there for a child’s passport?
Under 16, yes, or the absent parent signs Form DS-3053 before a notary within 90 days. A parent with sole custody brings the court order or the birth certificate naming only them. At 16 or 17, one parent need only show they know.
How long is a child’s passport good for?
Five years when issued under 16, ten years from 16 on, by 22 CFR 51.4. Plan the next one about 6 months before it runs out.