A U.S. passport issued before age 16 cannot be renewed. The next passport requires a new Form DS-11 application, an in-person appointment, a current photo, and the required parent or guardian documents.
The same rule applies at passport acceptance facilities in the United States and at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
The age on the previous passport controls the process
| Previous passport | What to file next | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Issued before age 16 | Apply in person with Form DS-11. | Passports issued before 16 are valid for five years and are not eligible for renewal. |
| Child is now 16 or 17, but the old passport was issued before 16 | Apply in person with Form DS-11 under the rules for applicants age 16 or 17. | The old passport was not a 10-year passport issued at age 16 or older. |
| Issued at age 16 or older | The applicant may later qualify for Form DS-82 or online renewal. | Adult renewal requires a passport that was issued at age 16 or older and was valid for 10 years. |
What the new DS-11 application checks
The new application gives the State Department current information about the child and the adults authorized to apply:
- The child appears in person and submits a recent passport photo.
- The State Department reviews the child’s U.S. citizenship evidence.
- The applying adults document their relationship to the child.
- The parents or guardians provide consent or evidence showing why one person may apply alone.
- The acceptance agent verifies identification and witnesses the application signature.
A child’s appearance, legal name, guardianship, and family circumstances can change during the five years that the passport is valid. Form DS-11 requires those details to be documented again.
A change of address is not a reason to replace a child’s passport. A residential address is not printed on a U.S. passport. A legal name change, data error, lost passport, theft, or significant damage may require a separate replacement or correction process before the expiration date.
What to bring to the appointment
Prepare Form DS-11 and make an appointment at a passport acceptance facility. The child must attend.
- Complete Form DS-11, but do not sign it until the acceptance agent tells you to.
- Submit acceptable citizenship evidence, such as a U.S. birth certificate, previous undamaged passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or Certificate of Citizenship.
- Bring proof of the parent-child relationship. A birth certificate may serve as both citizenship evidence and relationship evidence when it includes the required information.
- Bring parent or guardian photo identification and the required photocopies.
- Bring the consent, sole-authority, or special-circumstances documents that apply when both parents cannot attend.
- Provide one current passport photo.
- Submit the child’s most recent passport when it is available and has not been reported lost or stolen.
- Pay the application and acceptance fees using the payment methods accepted at the appointment location.
See our child passport guide for the forms, documents, fees, and appointment process.
Do both parents have to attend?
Both parents or guardians generally appear with a child under 16. When one cannot attend, that parent may provide a notarized Form DS-3053 and a photocopy of the identification presented to the notary.
A parent applying alone may provide documents showing sole authority, such as a qualifying court order or a birth certificate listing only one parent. Form DS-5525 may be considered when the other parent cannot be located.
Form DS-5525 is reviewed case by case. It is not a routine substitute when the other parent is available but refuses consent.
What if the child is now 16 or 17?
Turning 16 does not cancel an unexpired five-year passport. It can generally be used until the printed expiration date unless it is damaged, reported lost or stolen, replaced, or otherwise invalidated.
After that passport expires, a 16- or 17-year-old applies in person with Form DS-11. The applicant generally must show that one parent or legal guardian is aware of the application. A passport issued at age 16 or older is normally valid for 10 years.
A later 10-year passport issued at age 16 or older may qualify for renewal by mail or online when the other eligibility rules are met.
Online renewal is not available for a child passport
Online renewal follows the adult renewal rules. The passport being renewed must have been issued at age 16 or older, and the applicant must meet the other online-renewal requirements.
Urgent travel with an expired child passport
Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited processing is 2 to 3 weeks, plus mailing time.
Do not submit a routine application. Make a regional passport agency appointment, or use a registered passport courier service to review the application and handle permitted agency-submission logistics.
The child must still appear in person, and the parental-consent rules still apply. A courier cannot replace those requirements or guarantee issuance.
Questions about replacing a child passport
No. A passport issued before age 16 requires a new in-person Form DS-11 application.
No. Online renewal is available only for eligible passports issued at age 16 or older.
Yes. A child under 16 must appear in person with the parent or guardian completing the application.
Yes. Submit one current photo that meets the State Department’s requirements with each new DS-11 application.
An undamaged, fully valid U.S. passport may be used as citizenship evidence. Submit the most recent passport when it is available.
Not when the previous passport was issued before age 16. The applicant must use Form DS-11 in person. A later passport issued at age 16 or older may qualify for renewal.
No. The passport generally remains valid until the printed expiration date unless it is damaged, reported lost or stolen, replaced, or otherwise invalidated.
No. The child must appear, and the parental-consent rules still apply. A courier may review the package and handle permitted urgent-submission logistics after the acceptance appointment.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Our role: We explain how to replace a passport issued before age 16. The State Department sets the application rules and decides whether to approve and issue the passport.
