You will need to get a passport name change if you have gone
through a legal name change. How you will go about this will depend on a
few different factors. One of these is the date of issue of your
current passport. Your situation will dictate whether or not you need to
pay a fee as well as whether you can mail in the application.
If
the issue date of your current passport is less than a year ago and your
name has been changed legally through marriage or a court order, your
passport will be reissued without a fee. The passport in your former
name, along with a certified copy or original of the proof of name
change and the application must be mailed in together. You also need to
include two photos which are no more than 6 months old.
If your
existing passport in your old name was issued more than one year ago, an
alternative form must be used. It too can be mailed if you have the
legal proof of your name change. However, in this case, you must also
send in a fee along with the legal proof and the recent photos.
If
you are unable to supply legal proof of your change in name, you must
make your application in person. This situation is treated similarly to
applying for a new passport. You will be required to show at least three
forms of public records which detail your assumed name along with your
birth place and date. They must show use of the name for at least five
years.
Children who are less than 16 years old also need to apply
for their passport in person and the same documentation must be
submitted. The parents or the guardians of the minor need to go along as
well.
In addition to the other documents, they must provide legal proof
of their relationship to the child.
Take a look at the other
requirements for child passports so that you arrive at the agency with
all the information you need.
Receiving your new passport can take
four to six weeks or, at times, as many as ten. If you have to have it
before then, you may want to have your application expedited. If you
choose to do this, you will need to submit an extra fee for the rush
service. It is possible to request this with any application for a
passport.
It still can take between 2 to 3 weeks for an expedited
passport to reach you. If you are in an emergency situation requiring
your revised passport faster, you will have to call the National
Passport Information Center for a special appointment. Alternatively,
you can use a passport expediting service to speed up your name change.
If you are mailing your application for a US passport name change,
make sure that all your documentation is packaged securely. It is also
best if you send it so that it can be traced. Rather than waiting until
you have travel plans, do yourself a favor and send in the passport application form as soon as you actually change your name.
