Complete application form DS-11 for your baby. The document can be downloaded and printed at the U.S. Department of State website or obtained at a passport agency or acceptance facility. Fill in the form in its entirety, but do not sign it. You'll be instructed to sign it when you apply in person at a passport acceptance facility.
Purchase two identical photographs of your infant for submission with the application. To comply with the U.S. Department of State photograph guidelines, photographs must be in color, measure 2 inches by 2 inches, focus on the baby's head and shoulders and be set against a white or off-white background. You can purchase passport photographs at many convenience stores and pharmacies, and AAA members can obtain them at their local AAA agency. Some facilities do not have equipment to photograph newborns, so check in advance.
Locate the evidence of your baby's U.S. citizenship. A certified birth certificate, consular report of birth abroad, naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship will be accepted by the passport agency. After the application is processed, this document will be returned to you along with the new passport.
Because you are applying for a passport on behalf of the newborn, you must submit legal evidence of your relationship along with the application. The child's certified U.S. birth certificate, foreign birth certificate or report of birth abroad with both parents' names will be accepted. Additionally, an adoption decree with the adopting parents' names or a court order establishing custody or guardianship will work.
Photocopy the identification document you plan to present to the passport agency. In addition to presenting it to the passport agent at the time of application, a photocopy is also needed to process the application. The following identification documents will be accepted: a previously issued passport, government employee ID, a naturalization certificate, driver's license or military ID. The photocopy should show the front and back of your ID and must be on plain white paper that measures 8 1/2 by 11 inches.
Determine the application and execution fees needed to process the infant's passport application. The execution fee goes to the facility processing the application, and the application fee is given to the U.S. Department of State. Fees will vary depending on whether you are applying for a passport card, passport book or both. A passport card is a cheaper, wallet-size alternative to a passport book that can be used only for land and sea travel to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Acceptable methods of payment will vary depending on whether you apply at a passport agency or passport acceptance facility.
Gather all the necessary documentation and fees and head to your nearest passport acceptance facility. If you need the passport in less than four weeks, make an appointment at a regional passport agency. Agencies and facilities can be found through the links in the Resource section. Both parents must appear in person with the child at the time of application. If one parent cannot be present, a notarized Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053) must be submitted. The form can be obtained on the U.S. Department of State website or at a passport agency or acceptance facility. If you have sole custody of the child or are applying on behalf of a child who is not your own, see the U.S. Department of State website for the special requirements.
Once the document arrives in the mail, sign it immediately. On the first page of the passport, print your child's full name in the space provided. Then sign your own name right next to it. In parentheses, write "mother" or "father" next to the name.
