There are many documents that you need to submit along with your USA Passport application. Form DS-11 is the required form and must be submitted to obtain the document. It should be used if you have not ever received one or if it has been more than 15 years since you received your U. S. Passport.
You can obtain a copy of Form DS-11 online, through a local facility or agency for your replacement U S passport. You cannot submit this form through the mail because you must sign it in person. It is imperative that you do not sign it until an official is present to witness your signature.
A passport agency or acceptance facility can accept your application and witness signatures. The facilities include county clerks, post offices and libraries. Check in your area to confirm where the nearest facility is located. Agencies include the field offices that are allowed to accept, witness and process applications. They are in designated cities with high populations.
Expediting services can submit your application for you. They require that you give them specific information and have been licensed to accept it and submit the application for you. They are capable, under some circumstances, of completing the process in less than a day. The charges for this service are significantly higher than normal processing. The cost is proportionate to the amount of time left before it is required.
The most important proof that you need to provide is your primary evidence of U. S. citizenship. Submit an old passport or a certified birth certificate. If the birth certificate is used, make sure it contains the names of both of your parents. There are other documents that can provide the necessary information, including a certificate of citizenship. Check online or with local offices for more options. You will get your original proof documents back when your passport is sent to you, although it may come under separate cover.
You must submit present identification to prove that you are the person submitting the form. You can include a U. S. Passport that has expired, a driver’s license or military ID. Since some forms of ID must be retained by their owner, you can submit a photocopy of both front and back in lieu of the document. The original document, however, must be provided at the time you sign your form.
If you will be submitting an out of state driver’s license or other form of primary identification, a secondary identification must be provided. It needs to include the issuance date, date of birth, name and a your photograph. This, too, must have both sides copied on plain white paper.
For disabled people who cannot go to the agency to sign in front of an official, a person acting for the disabled person may sign. The appropriate form must be used and signed in front of the official. Identification for the person acting for the disabled person must be copied in the same manner as other identification. The same process is required for those who witnessed a disabled person’s signature.
A color photograph of the applicant needs to be delivered with the replacement American passport paperwork but cannot be attached to it. It should have been taken within the last six months and be two-inches by two-inches. The processing fee for a American passport application must be paid at the time it is turned in.
