Can You Renew a US Child's Passport? No, You Apply Again
Travel Document Vault
Key Takeaways
- A US child's passport issued before age 16 cannot be renewed - you apply for a new one instead.
- The process is the same as the first passport application: in person, with both parents taking part.
- A child's passport is valid for five years, so we'd start the next application about nine months before it expires.
- Both parents must take part unless one gives notarised written consent or there's proof of sole authority.
- At age 16 or 17, a teen applies in person and can sign their own application, but a parent may still need to provide consent.
- A passport issued at 16 or older is valid for ten years and can generally be renewed like an adult's.
A US passport issued to a child under 16 can't be renewed. When it runs out, you apply for a new one in person, the same way you did the first time, and both parents take part again. It's more paperwork than an adult renewal, but none of it is new if you've done it once.
Federal passport regulations draw the line at 16: renewal by mail or online is only open when the most recent passport was issued at 16 or older, so every passport a child gets before then ends in a fresh application. A child who gets a first passport as a baby can go through four applications before turning 16, each with both parents involved.
Passports Issued Before 16 Are Valid for Five Years
A passport issued to a child under 16 is valid for five years from the date of issue, unless the State Department sets a shorter period, while one issued at 16 or older is valid for ten years. That five-year clock is why families meet this process more than once.
The timing around the 16th birthday matters more than most parents expect. A passport issued at 15 is still a child's passport: five years, and no renewal when it runs out. One issued a few months later, after the birthday, is valid for ten years and can generally be renewed like an adult's. A short wait can turn a five-year passport into a ten-year one, so if there's no trip coming up, we'd check the birthday before booking an appointment for a 15-year-old.
Why Mail and Online Renewal Don't Apply
The renewal routes most adults use come with a condition attached. Federal regulations only allow renewal by mail when the most recent passport was issued at 16 or older, and online renewal has the same condition plus one more: the passport must have one year or less of validity left.
Everyone else, including every child under 16, applies in person before a passport agent or a passport acceptance agent. It catches some young adults by surprise: a five-year passport issued at 15 runs out at 20, and because it was issued before 16, the next one still means an in-person application, even though the holder is an adult by then.
Both Parents Must Apply, Every Time, Until Age 16
A child under 16 has to appear in person when a passport is applied for, unless a senior passport authorizing officer specifically excuses them. Federal regulations also require both parents, or each legal guardian, to execute the application on the child's behalf, "whether applying for a passport for the first time or for a renewal". Each parent also shows evidence that they are the child's parent or guardian.
If you can't both make the same appointment, the parent who can't attend can sign a written statement consenting to the passport, in front of a notary public. The other parent brings that statement to the appointment with the child. We'd get the notarised statement done early, since it's the piece most likely to hold things up.
Travel Document Vault lets you keep a profile for each family member, with their passport's own expiry date and a reminder before it lapses. Store the expiry dates alongside a note of when reapplication timings might clash with school holidays or work. Download on the App Store and Google Play.
What Counts as Proof of Sole Authority
If one parent has sole legal authority over the child, they can apply alone without a consent statement. Federal regulations list the evidence that works instead: a birth certificate naming only the applying parent, a death certificate for the other parent, an adoption decree naming only the applying parent, a court order granting sole legal custody with no conflicting travel restrictions, or an order ending the other parent's parental rights.
Joint custody works differently. A court order that gives both parents legal custody, or requires both parents or the court to agree on important decisions, is read as requiring the permission of both parents or the court. Separated parents are often caught out here, assuming shared custody means either of them can act alone. Under the regulations, it doesn't.
If your custody arrangement is unclear, contact the State Department before the appointment. It's far easier to sort out a question on the phone than at the counter.
Special Family Circumstances May Allow One Parent to Apply
The regulations allow a passport to be issued when only one parent executes the application, in cases of exigent or special family circumstances. The applying parent submits a written statement explaining the situation, and a senior passport authorizing officer decides. There's no checklist that guarantees approval, so we wouldn't plan a trip around this route without speaking to the State Department first.
At Age 16 or 17: A New Application, But the Teen Can Sign
A passport issued before the child turned 16 still can't be renewed at 16 or 17. The teenager applies for a new passport in person, and the difference now is that they can execute, or sign, their own application.
A parent still has a part to play. They can either give a signed statement saying they are aware the teenager is applying for a passport, or attend the appointment with them. The regulations also let the passport officer ask for a parent's notarised consent at any time, so it's worth having a parent reachable on the day.
The passport issued at 16 or 17 is valid for ten years. When it runs out, the young person, now an adult, can generally renew it by mail or online, provided they meet the usual adult conditions. The in-person reapplications end there.
Planning the Next Application
The supporting documents follow the same process as a first child passport, so our guide to applying for a child's first passport is the place to check the full list and the consent rules. Fees depend on the child's age, and the State Department publishes the current amounts and processing times, which change, so check both before you book.
With more than one child, the dates drift apart. Passports issued a couple of years apart each need both parents involved, at separate times, unless you plan for it. When one child's passport comes due, we'd check the others too, so a second joint appointment never arrives as a surprise.
What makes the difference is starting early. We'd begin about nine months before a child's passport expires: long enough to find an appointment both parents can make, get any notarised statement signed, and still have time if something needs redoing. Our guide on when to renew a passport before it expires walks through the timing in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you renew a child's passport if it was issued before age 16?
No, you cannot renew a child's passport if it was issued before they turned 16. Instead, you apply for a new passport in person, the same way as the first one. Both parents take part, or one gives a notarised statement of consent from the other.
How long is a US child's passport valid for?
A passport issued to a child under 16 is valid for five years from the date of issue. A passport issued at age 16 or older is valid for 10 years. Because of the five-year clock, families with young children usually apply again several times before the child turns 16.
Do both parents have to be present when a child applies for a passport?
Federal passport regulations require both parents or guardians to execute the application every time a child under 16 applies, whether it's the first passport or a reapplication. If one parent cannot attend, they can provide a notarised written statement of consent. In some circumstances like sole custody or a parent's death, other documents can take the place of this consent.
What happens when a child turns 16?
A passport issued before age 16 still cannot be renewed when the child turns 16 or 17. The young person applies in person for a new passport and can sign their own application. A parent can provide a signed statement saying they are aware of the application, or they can attend the appointment. The officer may still require a notarised statement of parental consent. A passport issued at 16 or 17 is valid for ten years and can generally be renewed like an adult's once it runs out.
What if one parent has sole legal custody?
If one parent has sole legal custody or exclusive authority, they can apply alone without a notarised consent statement. Federal regulations accept a birth certificate naming only the applying parent, a death certificate of the other parent, an adoption decree, a court order granting sole legal custody, or a court order terminating the other parent's parental rights. A joint custody order still requires both parents or permission from the court.
