The U.S. Department of State verify the original birth certificate / naturalization certificate as your proof of citizenship. The original document will be reviewed and sent back to you in a separate envelope from your passport.

If your child's parent is unable to make it to the appointment, they can give permission by completing Form DS-3053 “Statement of Consent." The form must be notarized and attached to a copy of the absent parent's ID (copy must be front and back). 

If you are unable to locate the other parent, you must submit Form DS-5525 “Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances." You will be asked to add as much detail as possible and the U.S. Department of State will ask you to provide  additional evidence.  Examples include: a custody order, an incarceration order, or a restraining order.

The passport agent must verify the applicant appearing before them is indeed the person in the photo.

For adults, passports are valid for 10 years.

For children, passports are valid for 5 years.

Visit the link below to report your physical U.S. passport lost or stolen immediately to protect yourself from identity theft. You can replace it now or later - it's up to you! 

• Report Your Lost or Stolen Passport

Contact the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.  A Customer Service Representative will confirm the date your passport was mailed to you, the address to which it was mailed and, if necessary, help you report that you did not receive your passport.

You have 90 days from the date your passport was issued to report that you have not yet received it. If you do not report it within 90 days, you will be required to reapply and submit the full passport fee.