Log on to the State Department's passport website, travel.state.gov.
Select the "Application Status" link on the left side of the page. With the applicant's last name, date of birth and last four digits of his Social Security number at hand, select "Check Application Status."
Check the box indicating that you agree to the Privacy and Computer Fraud and Abuse Acts Notices and Disclaimers. Select "Submit."
Enter the relevant information and select "Submit." The next page should bring up the status of a passport application. If it has been five to seven days since the initial application and a status shows up, that person has applied for a passport. If it has been longer than five to seven days and there is no status, it is likely that the person has not applied.
Call Customer Service at 877-487-2778 if you have checked the website and found no status but wish to double-check that no passport application has been filed.
Navigate through the automated prompts until you reach a customer service agent.
Provide the customer service agent with the applicant's last name, date of birth and the last four digits of his Social Security number. If the agent cannot find information about the applicant a week after submission, the applicant has not filed an application for a passport.
