Your new US passport can be used as official identification all over the world. But do you know what kind of identification you’ll need to show in order to get your first passport?
When you apply for your first US passport, you will need to go to a Passport Acceptance Agent to have your identity and citizenship verified. You’ll need to show official identification that displays your full name and photo. If you have a valid, in-state driver’s license, that’s all you’ll need to prove your identity! You can also show one of the following cards instead as primary proof of your identity:
- Valid US Military ID, or military dependent ID
- Valid in-state non-driver identification card
- Expired, undamaged US passport
- Government employee ID with photo
- Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship, with your photo
What if your driver’s license is issued by a different state?
Let’s say you have a valid driver’s license issued by North Carolina, but you are applying for your passport at a Passport Acceptance Facility in Virginia. Since your driver’s license was issued out of state, you’ll need to submit a secondary proof of identity. If you have another form of identification that shows your name, date of birth, and photo, you might be able to use just that ID to support your out of state driver’s license. But just to be safe, we recommend you bring as many forms of secondary identification as possible.
Secondary Proof of Identity
Don’t have a driver’s license or other state-issued ID? Or perhaps you have a driver’s license, but it’s a temporary license, or it’s expired. You’ll need to show a combination of secondary IDs.
There isn’t a hard and fast rule about how many forms of secondary identification you’ll need to show, but we recommend that you try to bring at least five. Look for documents that show your full name. It’s also good if the documents include your photo or date of birth. The more official the issuing organization, the better!
Here are some suggestions of secondary ID options:
- Social Security card
- Learner’s permit or temporary driver’s license
- Expired driver’s license
- Voter registration card
- Employee ID
- Student ID
- Foreign passport (even expired)
- Selective Service (draft) registration
- Medicare or health insurance card
- Welfare card
- Union membership card
- Professional license (such as nurse, beautician, etc.)
- Membership card for a club or social organization
- Credit card or bank records for the past year
- Copy of lease or mortgage
- Income tax records or W-2 forms for the past year
- School diplomas or yearbooks
- Baptismal certificate or other religious records
December is New Passport month on the G3Passports.com blog! All month we’ll be focusing on topics relating to first time passports for adults. If there are any subjects you’d like us to address, tell us in the comments!