May my ex wife renew my 5 year old daughter's passport without my consent?

by Dennis
(Rock Island, Illinois, United States)

Question: My ex wife is an active duty military member and is currently stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. I am a separated military member living in Illinois.

She has been contacting me about signing a document so she may renew my daughter's passport. She has not allowed me to see my daughter in almost 2 years despite the fact I have a court ordered custody agreement stating we share custody of the child. She has used the fact that she is stationed in Guam, several thousand miles away and overseas to her advantage in keeping my daughter from me. Although she does allow me to call and speak with her whenever I want, she will not share the custody with me as ordered.

I have not the money to fight this battle at this time. I do not want to sign this document because I'm fearful she may transition somewhere else and I will not know how to find her. She will not tell me where she is going. Please help me in whatever way you can....

Answer: The short answer is maybe. The U.S. Department of State Passport Services requires both parents to appear in order to get a passport for a minor age 15 or under.

In cases where only one parent appears, the applying parent must submit either notarized consent from the non-applying parent or proof of sole legal custody.

If your ex wife cannot get your consent and does not have sole legal custody, she could submit a request for a court order allowing her to get a passport for your daughter. Since she is active duty military, it is possible that such a request would be granted if she is being transitioned to another location.

One thing you can do is enter your daughter's name in the Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program. If your an passport application is submitted for your child, then you will receive notice of this.

For more information, click the link below.

Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program