Your Child's Passport at 16: Why It Cannot Be Renewed and What to Do Instead
Short answer
A passport issued before age 16 can never be renewed — every applicant whose last passport was issued under 16 must apply in person on Form DS-11, even for a 'renewal'. The good news: at 16 or 17 the new passport is a full 10-year adult book, only one parent needs to show awareness (or the teen can show their own ID), and no special consent forms are required beyond standard DS-11 rules.
Why there is no renewal for under-16 passports
Child passports are valid for five years and are deliberately excluded from mail renewal. The Form DS-82 eligibility rules require a passport issued at age 16 or older, so a teen holding a child passport always starts a fresh application.
That means an in-person visit, the execution fee, and full citizenship evidence again — plan the appointment before the old passport expires if travel is coming.
What a 16- or 17-year-old needs to bring
The checklist mirrors a first-time adult application: completed DS-11 (unsigned until witnessed), original citizenship evidence such as a certified birth certificate, one compliant photo, and payment for both the application and execution fees.
For identification, the teen can present their own driver's license or permit. If they have none, a parent can identify them with the parent's own valid ID — the same identifying-witness logic used for younger children.
Parental consent at 16 and 17
Both-parents-in-person rules end at 16. For 16- and 17-year-olds the State Department requires only that at least one parent or legal guardian shows 'parental awareness' — appearing with the teen, signing the DS-11, or providing a signed note with a photocopy of that parent's ID.
If a parent cannot be involved at all, the teen's own photo ID usually satisfies the awareness requirement. When in doubt, bring the signed note — it costs nothing and prevents a second trip.
Timing it right
The new passport is valid for ten years, so this is the last childhood-style application the family will ever file. If the old passport is still valid, the teen keeps it until the new book arrives — the old one is returned with the application package.
Applying at an acceptance facility is identical to any DS-11 visit; find one near you with our office finder, and use the child passport guide for the document details that still apply.
PassportOffices is an independent resource, not a government website. Rules, fees, and processing times change — always confirm details at travel.state.gov before you travel.