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Passports and Visas

How to Report a Lost or Stolen Passport:

You may report your stolen passport to the Department of State either in writing or by telephone. A detailed statement can be submitted to the following address:

US Department of State
Passport Services
Consular Lost / Stolen Passport Section
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036

Or, you may call the State Department at (202)-955-0430, a service that is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Important points to remember:

  • Once a passport is reported lost or stolen it is invalidated and can no longer be used for travel.
  • If the passport is recovered after it has been reported lost or stolen, it should be submitted to the address listed above. At that time, if requested, the passport can be canceled and returned. If not, the passport will be destroyed.
  • For information on how to replace a lost or stolen passport and for other travel information, consult the Web site.

Applying for a Passport for a Child Under 14:

On July 2, 2001, the Two-Parent Consent Law came into effect. Public law 106-113, Section 236 established that both parents or legal guardians must give their consent to passport issuance to a minor child under the age of 14 unless sole custody or guardianship is established by the applying parent or guardian. When both parents are available to apply for the minor child, each parent must establish three things:

  • Identity (valid driver's license, military ID, US passport, etc.)
  • Relationship to the child (one document that shows the parents' names - birth certificate, religious certificate, hospital certificate, adoption decree, etc.)
  • The child's US citizenship (certified birth record, naturalization certificate, previous US passport, etc.)

When only one parent can appear in person to apply for the minor child, all of the above documentation must be submitted as well as a statement from the absent parent consenting to passport issuance for the minor child. Until recently, this statement was not required to be notarized. However, effective November 1, 2004, the statement of consent by the non-applying parent for a minor child under age 14, must be notarized.