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Post office kept my child's passport application

by David Holmes
(Republic Mo USA )

Question: My question is two-part, First I am in Afghanistan with the 3-4 Marines and my daughter is 17 years old. I sent her in the other day to the post office with a passport application filled out for her because we are planning a cruise when I get home in March. She took the application to the Republic Mo. post office on Harrison St. I believe its 660 E. Harrison in Republic Mo. The person working the desk told her she was not old enough to apply for the passport by herself and would need me to come in and sign for her. Then the postal worker refused to give her the passport application back and told her they would keep it on file for her. I don't understand why they would need this application, and it worries me because all of my daughters information was on this paper as well as my social security number and information. Someone please explain why this application is being kept? I would call and ask but as I said, I am in Afghanistan and the only contact I have is through email.


My second question is how can we get her a passport? Her mother is not in the picture and she is staying with my girlfriend while I'm deployed. There is no legal guardian besides me. She turns 18 on March 18th do we need to
wait until then or is there something else we can do as far as me emailing a consent form?

Thank you in advance for your time.

Answer: All minors age 16 and 17 must establish parental consent in order to apply for a passport. If it is not implied on the application, you will be requested to provide written consent using form DS-3053

Since the mother is "not in the picture", you need to complete the section on the consent form for special circumstances. After completing the consent form, you need to sign it and then mail it (not by email) to your daughter. Providing the consent form does not guarantee that your daughter will be granted a passport.

If your cruise is a close-looped cruise, your daughter may not be required to present a passport and could wait until your return to the U.S. in order to apply or until she completes 18 years of age at which time she would not need parental consent.

A cruise that originates and terminates in the same U.S. city is referred to as a closed-loop cruise. If this is the case, your daughter would not need a passport to re-enter the United States. She might, however, need a passport if the cruise will stop at countries that require them.

You can verify this by checking the foreign entry requirements for the countries you plan to visit during the cruise.

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