Go to a photo facility that takes passport photos. Photographers in these venues are usually well-versed in how to take a proper passport photo, which saves you the time and expense of having to resubmit a corrected photo later. Your local U.S. Post Office may also take a passport photo for you.
Complete the DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport form, found on the U.S. Department of State's forms website (see Resources). Don't sign the form or allow your child to sign it until she's instructed to do so at the passport office by the acceptance agent.
Take the following items to a passport acceptance facility or passport agency: updated passport photo; evidence of U.S. citizenship for your child, such as a birth certificate or your child's previous passport; your state ID or other form of identification; photocopies of each piece of identification for the parent; and proof of your relationship to the child, such as a birth certificate or adoption papers. To find your local branch, search online or visit the U.S. Department of State's search site (see Resources).
Sign the form in front of the acceptance agent. If the other parent can't be present, bring the missing parent's Statement of Consent: Form DS-3053. This form can be found on the U.S. Department of State's forms website (see Resources).
Pay the application fee. Current application fee information and methods of payment can be found at the U.S. Department of State's website (see Resources).
Wait six to eight weeks for the passport to arrive in the mail.
