How to Obtain Copies of Your Passport Records

How to Obtain Copies of Your Passport Records

There are two options for obtaining copies of your passport records:

1. Passport Records for Issuances 1925 - Present

a) Requesting Your Own Record

Passport Services maintains United States passport records for passports issued from 1925 to the present. These records normally consist of applications for United States passports and supporting evidence of United States citizenship, and are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 USC 552(a)). Passport records do not include evidence of travel such as entrance/exit stamps, visas, residence permits, etc., since this information is entered into the passport book after it is issued.

The Privacy Act allows you to obtain copies of records in your own name and the records of your minor children. To request these records, please submit a typed or clearly printed NOTARIZED request that provides:

1. your full name at birth and any subsequent name changes and/or the full name of your minor child or children, if you are requesting their records; 2. your date and place of birth and/or those of your minor child or children; 3. your current mailing address; 4. your current daytime telephone number; 5. your current e-mail address, if available; 6. your reason for the request; 7. the dates or estimated dates your passports were issued; and 8. your passport numbers or any other information that will help us locate your records.

A search for your passport record is free with your notarized request. However, there is a $45.00 search fee for each individual, other than yourself and your minor children, for whom a record search is requested. A check or money order made payable to "Department of State" must be included with your request. The search fee is waived for passport records to be submitted in connection with a request for Federal, State, or municipal benefits or when a court of competent jurisdiction orders production of the record. A copy of the court order signed by a judge should be submitted with your request.

b) Authenticated Passport Records

Authenticated copies of passport records may be requested. If you would like an authenticated copy of a passport record, the authentication fee is $30.00 for the first authenticated copy of an individual's record and $20.00 for each additional authenticated copy of that record. Checks or money orders should be made payable to "Department of State". There is no charge for authenticated copies of records to be submitted in connection with a request for Federal, State, or municipal benefits or when a court of competent jurisdiction orders production of the record.

c) Third Party Requests

Third party requests must include one of the following: (1) authorization of consent from the owner of the passport records, (2) proof of guardianship, (3) death certificate, or (4) court order signed by a judge of competent jurisdiction requesting the Department of State to release passport records. The only exception to this requirement is when the owner of the passport records was born 100 years or more ago. Your third party request does not have to be notarized but should include the information described in the section above that covers requesting your own record and a $45.00 search fee for each individual for whom a record search is requested. Checks or money orders should be made payable to "Department of State".

d) Mailing Address

All requests for passport records issued from 1925 to present should be mailed to:

Department of State Passport Services Research and Liaison Section Room 500 1111 19th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20524-1705

The National Archives and Records Administration maintains records for passport issuances prior to 1925. You may write to them at the following address:

National Archives and Records Administration Archives 1 Reference Branch 8th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20408

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