Passports
What is a passport?
A passport is an internationally recognized travel document that serves as the ultimate form of proof of a person's citizenship. U.S. passports are issued by the U.S. Passport Agency. Check with your local post office for access to their passport agents.
If you do not have a passport, apply for it as soon as possible. If you can, try to apply at least 3 months before you plan to depart.
Do I need a passport?
U.S. citizens require passports to exit/enter the U.S. It is the traveler's responsibility to carry the correct identification during their travels abroad.
How do I obtain a passport?
To obtain a passport for the first time, you need to go in person to the passport agent at your local post office with 2 passport-type photographs, your birth certificate, and a valid form of photo identification, such as a drivers license. Be sure to sign the inside page of your new passport when it arrives.
How do I renew a passport?
You can renew by mail if your most recent passport is available to submit and is not damaged; you received the passport within the past 15 years; you were over the age of 16 when it was issued; you still have the same name; or can legally document your name change.