Child passport consent: both parents, or the right form
For a child under 16, the State Department needs both parents’ approval. The form you bring depends on who can come and who has custody.
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2026 rules
Child passport: what to bring
Documents for the parents
Both IDs and photocopies, no extra form
| Check to the State Department | $100 |
| Acceptance facility | $35 |
| Valid for | 5 years, never renewable |
A U.S. passport for a child under 16 is issued only with the approval of both parents or legal guardians. The simplest case is both parents appearing with the child at the acceptance facility, each with a physical photo ID and a photocopy of its front and back. When one parent cannot come but both share custody, that parent signs Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, in front of a notary, and the other parent brings it with a copy of the ID shown to the notary; the form must be submitted within 90 days of being notarized. A parent with sole custody proves it with a court order, a birth certificate or adoption decree naming only that parent, or a death certificate. When the other parent cannot be found, Form DS-5525 explains the special circumstances. Neither parent present? The adult who comes needs DS-3053 or notarized statements from both parents. The fees do not change: $135 for a child’s book, in two payments.
Why the rule exists
The two-parent requirement for children under 16 is a protection against international parental child abduction. A passport lets a child leave the country, so the State Department wants evidence that both people with parental rights agree. That is also why the rule stops at 16: a teenager of 16 or 17 only needs to show that one parent is aware, as the page for 16 and 17 year olds explains. Below 16, every application is a new Form DS-11 in person, never a renewal, so the consent question comes back every five years.
Proving who the parents are
Before consent, the agent checks relationship. A U.S. birth certificate listing both parents does both jobs at once: it proves the child’s citizenship and who the parents are. Without one, the family brings another document showing the parents or legal guardians, such as a foreign birth certificate, an adoption decree, a divorce or custody decree, or a court order. A parent whose name no longer matches that document adds a marriage certificate or name change decree. The State Department accepts only physical documents: a mobile or electronic birth certificate is refused.
The five situations, one by one
Both parents present. Each brings an acceptable photo ID, most often a valid driver’s license; an ID from another state than the one where you apply may need a second ID. Each ID is photocopied front and back on single-sided letter paper. No extra form is needed.
One parent absent, shared custody. The absent parent completes Form DS-3053 and signs it in front of a certified notary, then sends it with a photocopy of the ID presented to the notary. The applying parent submits it within 90 days of notarization. Electronic or remote notarization is accepted where state law allows it, as a printed copy.
Sole custody. One of these documents replaces the other parent’s consent: a court order granting sole custody or permission to apply alone, a certified birth certificate or adoption decree listing only the applying parent, a certified death certificate of the other parent, or a judicial declaration of incompetence.
Other parent unreachable. Form DS-5525, the Statement of Special Family Circumstances, describes why consent cannot be obtained. Expect questions: the Department may ask for custody, incarceration or restraining orders before deciding.
Neither parent present. A grandparent or other adult brings DS-3053 or a notarized statement from both parents, within the same 90 days, with copies of both IDs, or one statement plus proof of that parent’s sole custody. Children in foster care or pending adoption follow a separate list: a certified court order naming the guardian with no restriction on a passport, a letter on official letterhead, a complete DS-3053 and employee IDs.
Passport cost for the whole family
Total for the family
$565
| Check(s) handed in at the facility | $330 |
| Facility fees | $105 |
| Check mailed with the DS-82s | $130 |
One check may cover several applications if the memo lists every name and date of birth.
Fees do not change with the paperwork
Whatever the situation, the child pays the same: $100 for a book, $15 for a card or $115 for both, by check or money order to the U.S. Department of State, and the $35 execution fee to the facility. A book and card together come to $150. The State Department prefers one check per child, with the child’s name and date of birth in the memo, but accepts one check for a family if every name, date of birth and the number of applications are written on it. Notary fees, if any, are separate and set by the notary.
Where consent applications get stuck
Most delays come from small details rather than from the law. A DS-3053 signed but not notarized is not a consent. A notarized form older than 90 days must be redone, which means a second visit to the notary and often a second appointment at the facility. A photocopy of the absent parent’s ID that shows only the front is incomplete: the rule asks for front and back. A sole-custody order that contains travel restrictions inconsistent with issuing a passport does not prove sole custody for passport purposes (22 CFR 51.28). When the parents’ names on the birth certificate differ from their current IDs, the link must be documented with a marriage certificate or name change decree. Each of these turns into a letter from the State Department asking for more information, and the processing clock waits for your answer.
A short checklist for separated parents
Agree on the appointment date first. The absent parent then signs the DS-3053 in front of a notary, within the 90-day window, and sends the original with a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary. The applying parent brings that original, their own ID with its photocopy, the child’s citizenship evidence and its photocopy, the photo and the two payments. If the parents disagree, no form solves it: without the second parent’s consent or proof of sole custody, the passport is not issued.
The appointment itself
Do not sign the DS-11 at home: the parent signs in front of the agent, who gives the oath. Do not staple the photo; the agent does it. Bring the original citizenship document as well as its photocopy, since the original travels with the application and comes back by First Class Mail, up to four weeks after the passport. If the child’s previous passport was lost or stolen, add the details or Form DS-64; if it was damaged, a signed statement explaining the damage.
Timing
Consent documents age: 90 days from notarization. Plan the appointment first, then the notary visit, not the other way round. Processing for a child is the same as for an adult, 4 to 6 weeks routine plus mail, so a family trip in summer is best prepared in the autumn or winter before, when the State Department says demand is lower.