Complete a DS-11 form. This form is available on the U.S. Department of State website. Click on “Passport” and “Apply for a Passport.” Scroll down to “Submit a U.S. Passport Application for an Adult in Person” and click on “Fill out form DS-11.” You can complete this form online or print it out and fill out by hand. If you do it by hand, make sure you write legibly and use black ink. Do not sign the form. You must do so when you turn the form in.
Gather all the verification documents you will need as to be prepared when you apply for your passport for the first time. You will need proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate; proof of identity, such as a driver’s license or government ID; two passport photos; Social Security card; and applicable fee. Bring a photocopy of the front and back of each document. As of 2011, the fee for people 16 and older is $140. There is also a $25 execution fee.
Apply in person. For your first passport, you must apply in person. Take your completed DS-11 application along with your verification documents to your local post office. Must post offices have a separate section or room for passports.
Wait to receive your passport.
