Disclaimer: This site may earn affiliate commissions from your purchases through our links, at no extra cost. Learn more.

Adoptive Child's Name Change on Passport

by Celine
(Thousand Oaks, CA)

Question: As a foster parent, we applied for our little girl's passport last year under her legal name at the time and as foster parents.

We just completed adoption and therefore, need to change her name on passport and Social Security card. We do not have the new/revised birth certificate yet, but we do have the court order which shows us as legal parents.

We do not want to send the original paperwork as we only have few copies and need to keep them until we get a birth certificate.

How do we go about this?

Aside from fees and pictures, how can I get the required documents? The State won't issue additional original adoption certificates.

Thank you

Answer: Besides the normal requirements for a child's passport, you must submit the following items in order to obtain a passport for an adopted child.

1. A certified copy of the child’s original birth certificate;
2. A certified copy of the signed Adoption Order/Decree;
3. A copy of the signed Adoption Agreement (California only).

You may file a petition with the court clerk to ask the court for permission to obtain copies from the adoption file. Contact the court where the adoption was granted.

Superior Court of California

You can use a Tyvek envelope to protect the contents and a traceable delivery method to ensure the arrival of your documents such as USPS Priority Mail or USPS Express Mail (for overnight delivery).

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Passport Name Change FAQ.

In a Hurry? Get Reliable Expedited Passport Courier Service:Expedite My U.S.Passport Now!

Top 5 Questions About Expedited Passport Couriers

1. How can you get a passport when you're in a hurry?
2. What exactly does a passport expediter do?
3. Are passport expediting services legitimate?
4. How can I identify a reliable passport expeditor?
5. Is expedited passport service worth it?

Get answers to these questions and more in our Ultimate U.S. Traveler's Guide to Passport Expediters.

You can also visit our library of articles about passport expediting.

About the Author: For over 20 years, the U.S. Passport Service Guide team has helped hundreds of thousands of travelers with their travel document questions and shared advice about how to make traveling abroad simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.

Get the Latest Updates

Fill out the form, tick all boxes, click subscribe for updates on passports and travel news.
-->