Go to the Department of State website at travel.state.gov.
Fill out but do not sign form DS-11, the application for a United States passport. The form is available at the website. The form must be signed in the presence of a passport agent after the agent receives all of the required documents.
Bring evidence of United States citizenship to the meeting with the agent. The agency will accept a previous undamaged passport, a certified birth certificate, a naturalization certificate, a certificate of citizenship or a consular report of birth abroad. The documentation will be returned with the passport. Starting in 2011, the birth certificates had to include the full names of the applicant's parents.
Bring proof of identification, which can be either a previously issued, undamaged passport, a naturalization certificate, a current government or military identification card, or a valid driver's license. The agency also wants a photocopy of any proof of identification on plain white 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper that shows the front and back of the ID.
Bring at least one photo that meets passport specifications. As of 2011, the rules called for a 2-by-2 photo in color taken with a plain background. It must show the applicant's current appearance.
Pay the appropriate fees. As of 2011, the adult passport book and card cost $140 plus a $25 execution fee. The agency accepts credit cards, checks payable to Department of State, and money orders.
