It is smart to know the regulations surrounding a minor passport if you need to apply for one for your child. Even newborns are required to have one when traveling abroad. There are also some special rules for children between 16 and 18 years of age.

Minors below 16 years of age need to apply for passports with both parents/guardians present. You must show proof of the child's citizenship, which will be returned. Among the documents you can use for proof are an U. S. Passport which is not damaged, a certificate of birth, abroad or in the U. S., and either a citizenship or naturalization.

It will be necessary to prove the relationship of the parents or guardians to the minor. Acceptable proof is a birth certificate, either U.S. or foreign, which has both parents' names, an adoption decree listing the adopting parents, or a court order which establishes guardianship or custody.

Any documents that are furnished in a foreign language must be translated into English. The translation can be formal or informal. Both original and translation must be turned in along with the passport application.

Previous U. S. passports cannot be used as proof that parent and child are related. If one of the parents or guardians has had a name change since original documents were issued, proof of that legal name change must also be provided. An example of proof for a name change would be a certificate of marriage. Both parents or guardians must also show valid identification such as: a U. S. Passport that is undamaged, a naturalization certificate, a government or military ID, or a driver's license.

Both parents must consent in order for a minor below 16 years of age to get a passport. Therefore, they must both appear when the application is made along with the minor. If they are not able to appear together, one parent must attend, and submit a notarized Statement of Consent from the absent parent. The consent form must not be older than 3 months.

If complete custody is with only one parent, that parent must go with the minor to the passport agency and sign the form before the agent. Proof of sole authority must also be furnished. This can be a birth certificate or consular report of birth abroad, which lists only the one name. Alternative proof may be an adoption decree, a court order, an incompetence declaration, or a death certificate.

If necessary, a third party may apply for the minor's passport. This person must appear with a notarized statement from both parents or guardians. If there is only one parent or guardian, proof of sole custody must also be furnished.

Besides the application and the documents proving your relationship, custody, and identification, two passport-sized photos and the application fee must be provided. Minors between 16 and 18 should bring photo identification. If they do not have any, the parents or the guardians must show their photo id. Whatever identification is used, a copy must be submitted. It is a smart idea to apply for the passport for a child before you really need it, as is the case with all USA passport.