You must have two identical passport size photos on hand when you apply for your passport. You can have your photo taken at a photo studio or passport photo service center (at many grocery stores and pharmacies) or print your own (not recommended). The passport photos must be in color, showing the full face straight on set against a white background. There can be no headgear, hats, sunglasses, large earrings or anything that obstructs the face in the photo. The required photo dimensions are 2 x 2 inches with the head (from crown to bottom of chin) taking up between 1 and 1 3/8 inches of the photo.
Passports must be applied for in person for primary issuance (the first time you apply for a passport). Only adult renewals can be done by mail. Passports for children under the age of 16 must be done in person even if the child's passport is a renewal. In-person applications are also required for replacement passports for those that were lost, stolen or destroyed. There are many locations where you can apply for a passport; one of the most common application centers in the U.S. is at the United States Post Office. Visit usps.com to find a certified post office nearest you. Other facilities include consulates, municipal government offices and select public libraries.
The actual application document for a U.S. passport is document DS-11, that is Department of State document 11. You must have the form printed and completed--but not signed--when you apply in person. Visit the website of the USDS travel bureau at travel.state.gov to download a copy of the application. You can either complete the form online and print, or print and complete the form in ink.
At the application interview you must submit two pieces of identification; the first is proof of your U.S. citizenship and can be presented either as your birth certificate, naturalization certificate, citizenship certificate or consular issued birth-abroad certificate. The second required identification is a primary identification, which includes a driver's license, military ID card, government ID card or any previously issued passports. You must present a photocopy of your primary ID (photo copy must be on white paper and show both the front and back of the ID).
You must pay both the application and execution fee at the time of application. At a passport agency, consulate or embassy, the passport fee is $95 in the form of check, cashier's check, money order, cash or credit and debit cards (not all facilities accept every kind of payment; verify before you go). All orders and checks must be made out to the U.S. Department of State. At acceptance facilities such as the post office or government office, there is an additional $25 execution fee that must be paid separately from the $95 application fee.
