*To make it easier to follow, you may want to print out this page and then check each item off the list as you compile your documents.
Whomever is applying for a new United States passport must appear in person at a proper authorized government acceptance agent. You must also submit all of the following documents to that authorized government acceptance agent, which are located at many local United States post offices across the country or your local county clerk's office:
- Proof of identification (submit a clear copy of one of the following 3 photo ID's):
- 1) Your valid state-issued driver's license or identification card.
- 2) Your valid military ID with a photo.
- 3) Your valid government ID with a photo.
- 2 passport photos, 2 x 2 inches in size, with a full, front view of your face, on a light or white background
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Sorry, no digital photos allowed!
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You can have them taken at a Walgreen's drugstore or a CVS Pharmacy. Do not staple the photos to any form.
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A completed DS-11 government form: New Passport Application (click here to print out a DS-11). You can fill out the application online and then print it out and sign it.
**By law, both of the above government fees are nonrefundable.**
Listed below are the items you need to bring with you to the post office or county clerk's office:
Present the following items to the acceptance agent (post office or county clerk) in your local area:
1) Proof of U.S. Citizenship 2) Proof of identification 3) 2 passport photos 4) DS-11 Passport Application (do not sign the form) 5) A check for $170.00, payable to "Department of State" ($140.00 for children) 6) A check for $25.00, which is the post office's or county clerk's execution fee (same fee for adults and children) 7) 2 copies of proof of travel departure (1 copy for the post office clerk, one extra one to send to us) 8) 2 Bucktown Letters of Authorization (1 copy for the post office clerk, one extra one to send to us) 9) Bucktown Visas & Passports Passport Order Form 10) Bucktown Visas & Passports expediting and return shipping fees, which are listed on our Order Form and are in addition to your government fees
Please read these two paragraphs completely:
You will then be sworn in by the agent and asked to sign your DS-11 application in front of the agent. The agent will then seal the documents in a government envelope. DO NOT OPEN the sealed envelope. If you do, you will have to repeat this whole process all over again. The sealed envelope will be given directly to you to send to Bucktown Visas & Passports, Inc. because you have our Letter of Authorization allowing us to hand carry your documents to the passport agency for you. DO NOT let the post office keep and mail that sealed envelope for you. You need to get the sealed envelope back in order to have your passport processed as quickly as possible through us. Put the sealed envelope inside of your FedEx shipping envelope that you are shipping to Bucktown Visas & Passports, Inc.
The sealed government envelope, your Bucktown passport order form, your Bucktown expediting and shipping fees (located on our order form; they are in addition to your government fees), your extra Bucktown letter of authorization, and your extra proof of travel departure date all go inside of the FedEx shipping envelope. NOTE: In case the acceptance agent forgets to put our letter of authorization and your proof of travel departure inside of the sealed government envelope, you should still have an extra copy of each one to clip outside of the sealed envelope and then ship it to us. We are not authorized to open the sealed envelope; only the passport agency can do that. Therefore, we do not know if everything is in the sealed envelope. This is a precautionary measure we follow to save you from major delays in having your passport processed.
FedEx your shipping envelope with all of your documents inside of it to Bucktown Visas & Passports, Inc. at our address that's located on the top of our order form, and you're ready to go! It's that simple!
We will notify you by email when we receive your documents and again by email when we ship your completed passport out to you.
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