- We may release passport information after receiving a written request from the presiding judge in a domestic civil suit. The passport information may be released to the court relating to a party who has been ordered to surrender their U.S. passport.
- We will release information about the person’s passport status to a requesting judge and will inform the judge if that person applies for a new passport.
- We will not deny a passport based on the request, but the judge can invoke state civil contempt sanctions based on the information.
- If requested to do so by the court, we will delay issuing a passport for a short period of time – generally 10 days. This delay can prevent a parent’s use of a passport in international child abduction when the judge has placed a passport restriction as a condition of visitation or other parental privilege.
How can judges request passport information?
- Judges may request information about a party whom they have ordered to turn in their current passport by writing to the Office of Adjudication. The address is:
- U.S. Department of State
Office of Adjudication (CA/PPT/S/A)
44132 Mercure Cir
PO Box 1243
Sterling, VA 20166-1243
- Follow the format of the sample letter below:
Case No: ______________________
Dear Director of the Office of Adjudication:
I am writing to request that _______________________, a party to the above captioned suit, be placed into the passport lookout database, and that you inform me if he /she applies for a new passport within the next year.
Mr./Ms. ___________________________________ has surrendered his/her
United States passport, number __________________, per order of this court.
Mr./Ms. __________________’s identifying information is as follows:
Date of Birth: _______________, Place of Birth: _________________________,
Social Security Number: ________________.
Should Mr./Ms. ___________________ apply for a new passport, please notify me or my clerk at the following telephone number and address:
(Address Line)
(Address Line)
(Address Line)
(Telephone No.)
(Fax No.)
Sincerely,
_____________________, Judge
______________________Court