When applying to renew a U.S. passport for a child under 16 you must apply in person through a pre-arranged appointment. The presence of the child and both parents is normally required at the time of application. Unequivocal consent to passport issuance is demonstrated by the parents signing the application form in front of a Consular Officer.

If one custodial parent is not able to attend, s/he must submit a notarized Form DS-3053 Statement of Consent, notarized by a U.S. notary public’s office or by the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate in the country where the parent is located. The form can be downloaded here (pdf 421 kb).  Items 1, 2, and 4 of the form DS-3053 should be completed in full.

The form DS-3053 must be notarized and conform to the following:

– The non-applying parent/legal guardian must sign and date the form DS-3053 in front of the U.S. notary public or Consular officer;
– The form DS-3053 must be notarized and dated on the same day by the non-applying parent/legal guardian and the notary public;
– The form DS-3053 must have been notarized by the non-applying parent/legal guardian no more than 90 days before the minor’s passport application was executed.  Unless consent is withdrawn by the non-applying parent, the acceptable form DS-3053 remains valid until the minor’s passport application is issued, denied, or withdrawn by the applying parent.

At the time the DS-3053 form is presented, a copy of the same identity document used to notarize the form must also be provided.

Alternatively, the applying parent may furnish one of the following documents:

• Child’s birth certificate listing only applying parent;
• Adoption decree (if applying parent is sole adopting parent);
• Court Order granting sole custody to the applying parent (i.e the absent parent has no access to the child.  Child’s travel must not be restricted by that order;
• Judicial declaration of incompetence of non-applying parent, or death certificate of non-applying parent.