Ahead of My Time
You gotta have a passport!
I wanted to get my passport back when I was a young man in Queens, New York. As far as the Passport Bros Movement, I was ahead of my time. At the time I was working as a junior clerk on Wall Street in the Stock Transfer Department of E.F. Hutton & Co. Part of my regular responsibilities included going to the post office to pick up mail.
While I often stood in the enormous line waiting for the window agent, I’d peruse the forms stuck in little bins at the counter. One day I found a blank DS-11 Passport Application Form and I became enamored with it and the thought of getting my passport book and boastfully flipping it open at an airport on my way to some exotic location.
At the time, the only time I’d ever been to an airport or on a plane was to and from Parris Island, South Carolina for Boot Camp with the United States Marines. My first flight ever was both exciting and harrowing. It was 1984, Friday, April 13th during a lightning storm. Still, the idea of traveling by air was firmly planted in my brain.
It wouldn’t be until 20+ years later, after dozens of incomplete DS-11 forms and a six-month hunt for a certified copy of my birth certificate that I would finally get my passport. However, at this time I lived on the opposite side of the country: Los Angeles, California.
I found the process quite simple (IF you have all your supporting documents). I handled everything at the US Post Office. Some Post Officers allow walk-in appointments. Others require you to schedule an appointment in advance.
Required Steps for First US Passport
1. Gather ALL Required Documents.
– If you’re like me you may need to contact some local authority of the hospital you were born in order to get a copy of your social security card, and birth certificate. If you’re lucky your mom still has it in her safekeeping box. These important documents must include the following:
– Proof of U.S. citizenship (such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate indicating lawful permanent residency).
– Valid photo identification (e.g., driver’s license or other state or city agency photo ID or certification).
– Passport photo (2 inches by 2 inches in size). This is important. Review the requirements for the photo. The passport acceptance agent can reject your photos if they don’t meet the requirement dimensions and specifications
2. Download and Complete the Application Form:
– Obtain Form DS-11, the U.S. Passport Application Form. You can pick up the form at most US post offices. Or, you can download the form here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/contact-us/passports.html
Just enter “ds-11” in the search field.
– Fill it out the DS-11 form, but **do not sign it** until you are instructed to do so while in the presence of an acceptance agent.
3. Get Passport Photos:
– Have passport photos taken. Many pharmacies, post offices, and photography studios offer this service. Head and shoulders image only with a plain white background is preferable.
4. Find a Passport Acceptance Facility:
– Locate a nearby passport acceptance facility. These are often found in post offices, clerks of court, and some public libraries.
– Check the following link to locate the nearest facility in your city and state.
– https://iafdb.travel.state.gov/
5. Visit the Acceptance Facility in Person:
– Bring your completed application form, proof of citizenship, photo ID, and passport photos.
– NOTE: Minors (under 16) must appear with both parents or legal guardians. If one parent cannot attend, a notarized consent form is required. I imagine the reason for this is so that one parent cannot secretly get a passport for a child and take the child out of the country without the other parent knowing.
6. Pay the Applicable Fees:
– Passport fees vary depending on the type of passport and processing time. Check the U.S. Department of State website for the latest fee information.
– Payment is typically made by check or money order payable to the “U.S. Department of State.”
– https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html
7. Submit Your Application:
– Hand in your completed application, required documents, and fees to the acceptance agent. The Agent will review all documents. Now is the time to ask any questions you might have.
– The acceptance agent will administer an oath and witness your signature on the application.
– Sign the DS-11 Form only when the Acceptance Agent asks you to do so.
– NOTE: The Acceptance Agency will keep your birth certificate or Naturalization Certificate and send it in with your DS-11. They do not accept copies. Make and keep a copy for yourself if you expect to need it. It’s a good idea to have your copy notarized just in case.
8. Track Your Application:
– After submission, you can track the status of your passport application online through the U.S. Department of State’s website.
– https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/status.html
9. Wait for Processing:
– Regular processing times can take several weeks. During peak submission times, processing can take an additional 2-4 weeks. I submitted my passport application during the early summer and I received it two weeks early. If you need your passport sooner, expedited services are available for an additional fee.
Receive Your New Passport in the U.S. mail:
Once processed, your passport will be mailed to you. You can track the delivery status online. I do not see a need to order expedited services unless you are traveling within 72 hours. The reason is, if there is a delay of two weeks, your Overnight Mail delivery means nothing.
You can see the US Dept of State website for immediate and urgent same-day processing of a US Passport Book.
I am fairly certain that I received my new passport book in the mail before they returned my original copy of my birth certificate. Both were mailed to me within a week of each other.
Be patient. I literally submitted my application and then I forgot about it. I hadn’t made any international arrangements or plans yet. I simply thought it was a good idea for a grown man to have his passport.
When my new passport book arrived in the mail I was thrilled! I took pictures and posted them online. I was happy and relieved because my journey had started much earlier. You will be happy too because now the entire world is open to you. You will have access to every continent in the world.
Passport Card vs Passport Book
Nowadays the U.S. Government has this thing called a Passport Card as an alternative to the Passport Book. Just like the name indicates, a passport card is indeed a card. It resembles a driver’s license. Its sole purpose, I believe, is to be useful as an alternative to carrying a passport book for specific travel.
Here are three things to keep in mind when considering obtaining a Passport Book versus a Passport Card.
1. Cheaper to Obtain:
– A Passport Card is cheaper to obtain than a Passport Book, although you have to provide the same personal documents to get one
2. Started in 2008.
– The US began issuing passport cards in 2008 to meet the needs of U.S. citizens who travel by land or sea (only) between Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and Caribbean countries.
3. North America Only
– A Passport card is useful for trips between the US, Canada, and Mexico.
4. No Fly Zone
– A Passport Card cannot be used for international air travel.
That said, a Passport Card is far too limiting for Passport Bros approval and acceptance. I can’t cosign on something that excludes access to parts of the world where women are known to treat their men better.
A Blue Book provides access to South America, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands, Asia, and Africa.
In Conclusion
Remember that these steps are a simple guide to help you plan for your new Passport Book. If you have very specific requirements or individual needs it’s advisable to check the U.S. Department of State’s official website or contact the passport acceptance facility for the most up-to-date information before you start the application process.
The important thing is to start the process ASAP. You’ll never get a new passport by dreaming about it. You have to take action. The action starts with gathering all your required documents. If you don’t have them, your action starts with getting replacement documents ASAP.
Be Ready
After a divorce, men often realize they do not have copies of any documents related to their children. Many men will come to see that they need copies of their children’s birth certificates, vaccination cards, etc for many of the services they will need in the future.
I experienced this. Eventually, I got tired of asking my ex-wife for copies of documents that she often couldn’t find.
One day I went to the Country Clerk’s Office and paid for certified copies of birth certificates for each of my four children. I kept them with MY personal documents. Later, during childcare visits with the doctor, I requested updated copies of vaccination cards and prescriptions.
When my oldest daughters needed birth certificates for school, work, insurance, tuition assistance, etc, I had everything ready in advance.
Get your passport now, brothers. Be ready in advance.