To avoid stress, last minute rush, and expedite fees, apply for a United States passport several months before traveling. Depending upon the time of year, a passport may take from six to eight weeks for delivery.

The total fee for a United States passport is paid with two separate payments—one payment is for the passport itself and the other payment is for the facility that initially accepts the application. Though two separate payments are required to process an application, the total cost is the same one collected at all passport acceptance facilities. These two fees are paid in the following manner.

*NOTE: Effective March 8, 2005.

The original Passport Application (#DS-11) may be obtained from our office or printed from the U.S. State Department's Web site at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html.

Appearance requirements:

All applicants must appear in person.

Passport applicants 14 through 17 years old must appear in person with a parent or legal guardian (proof of legal guardianship must be submitted).

Passport applicants under 14 years of age must appear in person with both parents or legal guardians.

Along with the completed application, you will need to provide the following:

1. Proof of U.S. citizenship, which can be one of the following documents:
   1. A previous U.S. passport (preferably your most recent one).
   2. A certified birth certificate from a state or U.S. territory. The birth certificate must be issued by the county recorder's office where you were born; hospital birth certificates are not acceptable. Please note that applicants born in the states of California and Texas need to submit a "Certificate of Live Birth." California and Texas "Birth Abstracts" are not acceptable.
   3. An original Certificate of Naturalization.
   4. An original Certificate of Citizenship.
   5. A certified Report of Birth Abroad
      
      
2. Evidence of parental relationship. This requirement is for applicants under 14 years of age only. To establish the parental or custodial relationship between the parents or legal guardians and the child, one of the following documents listing the parents' names must be submitted:
   1. A birth certificate from a state or US territory.
   2. A foreign birth certificate.
   3. A Report of Birth Abroad.
   4. An adoption decree.
   5. A court order establishing custody or guardianship.

   Please note that a child's former passport does not satisfy this requirement, as it does not list the parents' or guardians' names.

3. Proof of identity (for applicants 18 years or older, or for parent(s) of applicants under 18 years of age). You must submit one of the following items as identification, containing your signature and a photograph that is a good likeness of you:
   1. A valid passport.
   2. A valid driver's license.
   3. A valid state identification card.
   4. A valid government (federal, state, municipal) card.
   5. A recently-issued Certificate of Naturalization.
   6. A recently-issued Certificate of Citizenship.

   If you can not prove your identity, you must appear with an identifying witness who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien who has known you for at least two years. Your witness must prove his or her identity and complete and sign an "Affidavit of Identifying Witness" before the acceptance agent. You, the applicant, must also submit two pieces of secondary identification of your own (i.e., school I.D. card, credit card with picture, Costco card with picture, etc.).

4. Two identical, recent passport photographs. It is best to purchase the photographs from a passport photo shop, as they are aware of the precise requirements of passport photographs. The City of Escondido now offers passport photographs for a fee of $15.00, which includes two identical photographs.
   
   
5. All applicable fees, including application and acceptance fees (see fee chart), and if warranted, expedite and overnight mail fees.

Expedite Service and Overnight Mailing

If you desire expedite processing of your passport application, this service is available for an additional $60.00 per application. With regular mailing, you would then receive a passport in the mail in approximately three weeks. The $60.00 expedite fee should be added to the passport fee made payable to "U.S Dept. of State."

If needed, two-way overnight mail service is available to:

1. Deliver your passport application to the passport agency.
2. Deliver the issued passport to your home.

Each overnight mail service requires a variable extra charge. If interested, please inquire about these services and their respective charges when you apply at our office.

If you require a passport in less than two weeks, you will need to make an appointment and apply in person at the Los Angeles Passport Agency, located in the Federal Office Building, 11000 Wilshire Boulevard, in west Los Angeles. The Passport Agency's hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. To make an appointment, please call the National Passport Information Line at (877) 487-2778.