A Short Guide To Getting An Expedited US Passport Name Change
Friday, July 2nd, 2010A passport is the legal identification booklet that must be acquired by a citizen before leaving the country. Getting passport is a process all its own. However, getting a U S passport name change invites many different obstacles to overcome. The government will require specific steps be taken to ensure the correct up-to-date information will appear on the new passport issued.
A variety of reasons exist why someone would have to change their name on a passport. For each specific circumstance, there is a new set of rules and guidelines that must be followed. Marriage, court order, and adoption are a few of these reasons. Each different example of a name change carries along with its own requirement and fees for obtaining a new passport.
In cases of marriage or legal name change within a year of the date a passport was issued, changing the name on a passport can be done through the mail. Someone trying to change their name needs to send the government their old valid passport and a completed DS-5504 form with name change application. Documentation, like a marriage license or court order proving the name change, must also be produced.
After one year from the issued date, a person wishing to get a U S passport because of name change must pay for a new passport. Legal documents need to be mailed to the passport agency along with the old passport and a DS-82 form. Two recent photographs that meet up with government standards will also be required and will appear in the new booklet.
If all the documents for a name change cannot be produced, the road to getting a new passport becomes a little rockier. The person seeking a new passport must go to the agency in person and prove their new identity to officials. The DS-11 form must be completed and you will have to pay a “first time” fee because the government looks at it like a completely new identity.
Not having the correct legal documentation of a name change will cause other consequences. A person who needs a new passport must have 3 documents showing the use of the assumed name. You will also have to show that the name you’re trying to switch to has been used for at least five years. Also two current photographs must be provided or taken at the passport facility.
Kids who need a passport name change due to adoption and other reasons have their own checklist to follow in order to change their names on a passport. The birth certificate and adoption decree will be necessary. Along with a completed DS-11 and fees depending on the time, both parents must to the office to and establish their guardianship over the child.
A expedited US passport name change hinges upon the different situations which produce the need for a name change. Also, having all the correct documents necessary ready for government processing is vital. Any person who wants to travel outside the country must have a passport. When getting a name change for the passport, try to do it in a timely fashion to avoid expense renewal fees.
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