Child passports only last for 5 years, so if you get a passport for a
young child, there is a good chance that you will have to renew it at
some point. Passport renewal for children is different from passport
renewal for adults.
Unlike adults, who are allowed to renew their passports by mail,
children must appear in person at a passport office to renew their
passports. Children must also have the consent of both parents in order
to apply for a passport renewal until they turn 16. Teens ages 16 and 17 need parental consent from one parent.
Parental consent can be proven in one of the following ways:
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Both parents accompany the child to apply for his or her passport renewal.
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One parent accompanies the child and brings a notarized statement of parental consent from the other parent.
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One parent with sole legal custody can provide consent for the child
as long as the parent brings proof that they have sole custody, such as a
birth certificate or adoption decree with only one parents' name on it,
or a court order.
If neither parent is available to accompany the child, another person can bring the child in with a notarized written statement or affidavit from both parents (or one parent with sole legal custody).
In addition, you will need the following documents:
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Proof of your identity, such as a government-issued photo ID, as well as a photocopy of this ID.
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Proof of your relationship to the child, such as a birth certificate, adoption decree or court order.
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Proof of the child's citizenship, such as the child's current passport, a birth certificate or a naturalization certificate.
-
2 passport photos
Once you have everything together, head down to your local passport
acceptance facility (often a post office or library), fill out passport
form DS-11 and sign it when the passport agent tells you to, pay the
applicable fees, and your child's passport renewal should be processed within the next 6 weeks (if you use regular service).
Author,
Alison Kroulek
